The VersAbility team played a vital role in quickly provisioning both Navy hospital ships to support the nation’s overwhelmed healthcare system due to COVID-19. The U.S. Naval Ship Comfort, recently left Norfolk, Virginia to provide much-needed relief to New York City and the USNS Mercy, is starting to serve patients in Los Angeles, California.

Thirty VersAbility employees with disabilities loaded the USNS Comfort with food for a thousand-plus crew members for three weeks of service in New York. VersAbility’s nationwide contract to provision Navy ships encompasses the five major ports on the east and west coasts, plus Hawaii and Guam. They subcontract some sites to other disability-serving organizations, including Pride Industries who loaded food on the USNS Mercy for its vital relief mission in California.

“Our employees with disabilities are mission-essential and a critical part of the national response to the COVID-19 crisis. Their work to load the Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort shows that people with disabilities are on the frontline of this effort. The military depends on people with disabilities to support our response to this pandemic,” states Kasia Grzelkowski, CEO of VersAbility Resources.

VersAbility employees with disabilities operate around-the-clock every day of the year to handle all global phone calls for Air Combat Command, including heightened volume due to the current crisis. They also play a crucial role in manufacturing eyeglasses, delivering mail across the country, providing custodial services, and serving meals to essential employees at several bases.

“Our employees and those of our sister-agencies are extremely proud to serve our military through this important work,” explains David Neary, Director of Government Contracts at VersAbility Resources. “It is an impactful way for them to serve their country.”

For more information about VersAbility Resource’s government contracts program, visit www.versability.org /employment-programs/government-contracts/.