Global Handwashing Day is October 15, 2020
GLOBAL HANDWASHING DAY IS OCTOBER 15, 2020 The next best thing to a vaccine during a pandemic and flu season
Victoria, British Columbia—October 9, 2020—SOAP FOR HOPE CANADA wants to remind Canadians that washing your hands regularly and thoroughly is always the first defense against the spread of germs, but especially so during a pandemic and flu season. Handwashing with soap removes germs from hands. This helps prevent infections because people frequently touch their eyes, nose, and mouth without even realizing it. Germs can get into the body through the eyes, nose and mouth and make us sick.
During COVID19, handwashing with soap has urgently taken on new meaning, but not everybody has regular access to hygiene products like soap. Soap for Hope Canada, headquartered in Victoria (with a second warehouse operation in Calgary), was founded on the belief that no one should ever have to hope for soap. With its mission to “change lives by providing hope and dignity through hygiene,” Soap for Hope Canada has been an instrumental player in Western Canada’s pandemic response this year.
Since 2015, Soap for Hope Canada has been dedicated to expanding access to essential hygiene products through the redistribution of repurposed hygiene items (soap, shampoo, etc.) and retired products (linens, robes, slippers) collected from more than 75 hotel community partners in BC and AB. Staff and volunteers reprocess these products for re-use in nearly 300 urban Community Facilities (shelters, transition homes, food banks, schools) as well as remote Indigenous communities throughout Western Canada.
By retrieving these gently used hygiene items from its Caring Community hotel partners, the hospitality sector reduces its waste and environmental footprint. By working collaboratively and coordinating efforts and deliveries with other organizations, Soap for Hope Canada maximizes logistical efficiencies that can piggy-back hygiene products with other deliveries such as food, clothing and other supplies.
Soap for Hope Canada processed more than 115,317 pounds of products (52,306 kilograms) last year thanks to just over 12,000 volunteer hours that saw the distribution of more than 1 million hygiene items to individuals who needed them.
With warehouses in Victoria and Calgary, Soap for Hope Canada served more than 125 community facilities in BC and more than 50 facilities in Alberta last year. During COVID19, the organization rapidly expanded relations and hygiene supply-chain deliveries to 80 Indigenous communities in the two provinces plus additional community facilities throughout BC and AB.
Soap for Hope Canada relies on the generous financial support provided by individuals, businesses, foundations and other organizations which enables it to maintain and expand warehouse distribution facilities, direct-purchase family size products and other hygiene items for no-cost distribution to those who need it. This financial support also expands the organization’s service geographies during times of crisis and community emergencies.
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For media interviews or follow-up, please CONTACT:
C. Anne McIntyre, Founder and Executive Director
Soap for Hope Canada
250/590-1462 office 778/977-7032 cell
About Soap for Hope Canada Soap for Hope Canada, with its mission to “change lives by providing hope and dignity through hygiene,” began in 2015 to help shelters, transitional homes, food banks and marginalized people in our communities with their basic hygiene needs. Using its proven regional supply-chain and franchise methodology, Soap for Hope Canada opened its second warehouse in Calgary, Alberta in 2016 and plans to continue this service model expansion into other provinces. For more information, please visit www.soapforhopecanada.ca
Originally a program of Disaster Aid Canada, Soap for Hope Canada became its own nationally registered charity in 2020. CRA # 76991 2676 RR0001.