Enjoy this blog post from Soap For Hope.
“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”
– J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
Connection, collaboration and community
These values are essentials to Soap for Hope Canada. We believe in taking care of our neighbors, sharing resources, and championing hope in the face of all that life brings our way. This month the demand for hygiene amenities (especially soap) has been higher than ever. Leading us to look ‘outside the box’ for ways to meet the urgent needs of community facilities across the province. We are humbled by what that search has unearthed!
Back in November, RecycleSmart shared with us how Darin Rowse, in partnership with The Crossing and Creekside Community Church, had been saving discarded soap from the Fairmont Waterfront for over a year. They couldn’t stand the idea of so much quality, usable soap being sent to the landfill; there had to be a way for it to be used for good.
Fast-forward to this month where we are sending out supplies by the thousands while our supply has slowed to a trickle. We needed soap and we needed it now.
With a few simple phone calls and emails, once again, our community had our back! Due to the quick and eager work of Darin Rowse, Creekside Community Church, The Crossing, U-Lock Mini Storage Burnaby, Fairmont Waterfront, RecycleSmart, Diamond Delivery and Rick’s Heart Foundation, 5 palled of soap were packed up on Friday and delivered to our warehouse by Monday afternoon.
That is roughly 375 boxes, 7500 pounds of soap!
It is because of community action such as this that we are able to provide essential hygiene products to over 125 community facilities in BC and dozens of remote Indigenous Communities throughout the province.
Thank you, Darin Rowse, Creekside Community Church, The Crossing, U-Lock Mini Storage Burnaby, Fairmont Waterfront and RecycleSmart for spearheading this incredible project and all your hard work in preparing the soap for shipment. This soap will serve the needs of thousands.
We would also like to say a special thank you to Diamond Delivery and Rick’s Heart Foundation for going above and beyond. When we called for help shipping these pallets, they didn’t hesitate to say yes, they made us a priority and rushed it from Burnaby to Soap for Hope on Vancouver Island. This self-less act of service went above and beyond the provision of all our day to day shipping to and from the lower mainland. We could not do what we do without them!
