At Soap for Hope Canada’s Victoria headquarters, the hygiene products lie waiting to be shipped.
“It’s a lot of fun and a lot of people really pull together to make it happen,” says Soap for Hope’s Indigenous Relations Coordinator Arielle Houghton.
The charity recycles soap and other products often discarded by hotels and other businesses and distributes them to hundreds of communities across B.C. and Alberta.
“We actually have over 400 community facilities across the two provinces, of which there are more than 125 community facilities that primarily serve indigenous people,” says Houghton.
“We also have a number of donations that come from communities, local people who do hygiene drives and anyone who is getting rid of their perfectly good product.”
Now with warehouses in both Victoria and Calgary Soap for Hope continues to grow. The charity even caught the attention of Reader’s Digest’s Our Canada magazine, which is running an article about the organization in its October and November issue.
“To be able to connect with those folks, those readers and to also be able to connect with some more hotels … so that we can actually extend our reach and work with more people in need is phenomenal,” says Houghton.
It’s a boost to a charity that hopes to grow across Canada.
“That is absolutely the goal, we’ve been able to connect with a few communities in Manitoba already which is fantastic,” says Houghton.
“However there’s still a long way to go before we’re able to open warehouses in each community.”
To learn more about Soap for Hope, visit their website.
Soap For Hope recycles soap and other products often discarded by hotels and other businesses and distributes them to hundreds of communities across B.C. and Alberta.
Cole Sorenson
