Imagine going to a job interview but being unable to bathe beforehand or going to school without access to deodorant and toothpaste. This is an unfortunate reality for 81% of Canadians living in hygiene poverty, who report needing to sacrifice their hygiene in favour of feeding themselves and their families. Soap For Hope Canada is a charity that helps alleviate hygiene disparities within poverty-stricken or unhoused populations. They uphold admirable values of dignity and compassion, while simultaneously contributing to sustainability in our community by reducing product waste.
Since their founding, Soap For Hope has distributed over 11 million hygiene products and linens, diverting over a million pounds from landfills. Not only do they collect new and gently used hygiene donations, they also process them within their warehouses and then deliver the repurposed products to community facilities, providing hope, dignity, and health to vulnerable populations. SMUS has had an ongoing partnership with Soap For Hope Canada over the years, with the grade 10 class completing a service day for the organization last fall and students writing Christmas cards that were included in hygiene packages for Seniors. The grade 10s had the opportunity to help package soap for the cause, learning values of sustainability and upcycling. This fruitful partnership, along with Soap For Hope Canada's honourable mission, really inspired my homeroom.
Restore Dignity, One Item at a Time
Together with the Service Leadership in Community Engagement program, Mrs. Kuklinski’s and Mrs. DeMelo’s homeroom, as well as my co-coordinator Olivia Parasynchuk have been working behind the scenes to find ways to support this admirable organization. We collectively decided on organizing a hygiene product drive within the Senior School to support Soap For Hope Canada’s mission. From now until May 16th, we call on homerooms from grades 9-12, as well as teachers, to donate hygiene products, which will be collected within your respective homeroom, alongside a collection box option for teachers without a homeroom outside Mrs. Gardiner’s office.
Donate new or gently used items such as:
- Shampoo and conditioner
- Body wash and body lotion
Or new items like:
- Deodorant
- Toothbrushes and toothpaste
- Feminine products
- Incontinence products
- Razors
- Lip balm
- Combs
The homeroom that collects the most donations will win a delicious platter of snacks as well as Salish Sea Soap Pebbles—beautiful rock resemblant soaps made from upcycled organic soap factory cuts. All donations will go directly towards alleviating hygiene poverty in Greater Victoria. Each item will help an individual within our community regain their dignity. There are also many more ways to support Soap For Hope Canada, aside from just donating to this hygiene drive. Soap For Hope Canada is always searching for volunteers to come get their hands -d-i-r-t-y- clean in the warehouse, or gracious donors to the cause. Everything has an impact, so please use your privilege to give back to our community.
