Gift Made Through AAA’s Soap For Hope Campaign
BELLEVUE, Wash. — At a time when proper handwashing can save lives, two well-known Washington charities received a huge donation of hand soaps, facilitated by AAA Washington. The 184,872 bottles, which filled three 53-foot long shipping containers, went to Seattle’s Food Lifeline and Northwest Harvest, two organizations already helping the most vulnerable members of our communities.
The idea of donating the soaps took shape when the local distributer, who wishes to remain anonymous, discovered a packaging issue which prevented the sale of all 184,872 bottles. Instead of dumping them in a landfill, an online search for “soap donations” pointed the company to AAA Washington’s annual Soap for Hope personal-care drive.
“We are so grateful to the distributor for not wanting these soaps to end up in the landfill and taking the steps to find our organization,” said Jennifer Cook, AAA Washington’s senior manager of corporate communications. “This is an unprecedented donation to the Soap for Hope campaign that will help our neighbors in need when it matters most.”
Food Lifeline and Northwest Harvest each sent a truck to collect the 72 pallets of hand soap for distribution to their network of non-profit organizations throughout Washington State.
For more information about Soap for Hope, including a list of recipient charities, please visit AAA.com/SoapForHope. AAA Washington accepts year-round donations of personal-care items, including soap, shampoo, dental products and personal protective equipment.