Donate Your Soap
August 17, 2010
Do you have left over inventory or products that aren’t moving and are collecting valuable shelf space? Here’s your chance to donate some of that inventory to a worthy cause before year’s end. The Handcrafted Soapmakers Guild has collaborated with this worthy cause in upstate New York.
On September 10, about 1,350 volunteers from over 50 businesses and other organizations in upstate New York will work on approximately 100 projects at local not-profit agencies, including partner agencies of United Way and others. Day of Caring is a yearly, community-wide volunteer event coordinated by United WayBroomeNew York. It was first held as a single day on September 11, 2002 to commemorate the volunteers and heroes who responded to the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York City. More than 1,000 volunteers have participated each year it has been held.
As members of HSMG, we have been asked to donate any soap or toiletries that we can give as part of this day of volunteer service and support. ACHIEVE, based in Binghamton, NY (an organization serving the needs of intellectually challenged or impaired individuals) is in charge of collecting and assembling kits for Catholic Charities, in partnership with United Way.
Items donated will directly benefit those in need in of the very basics. Specifically, bar soap, body wash, hand soap, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, etc. will be put into personal care kits. Products can be non-gender specific, for men and women as well as children. There is no limit to how much you can donate. Their need is great; much of their money is spent on food, first and toiletries, second. As a donor, you will need to send the soap yourself, which ever shipping method you prefer (USPS Flat Rate is perfect) to:
Attn: Anne Marie Sieczkos, LMSW
125 Cutler Pond Road
Binghamton, NY 13905
Achieve Foundation Inc., a non-profit, established in 1993 has offered to supply charitable donation receipts for your business tax purposes. In addition, if you are in the immediate proximity (30 minutes or less) of Binghamton, NY they will make arrangements to pick up your donation from you. This can be done by contacting Anne Marie Sieczkos of Achieve at 607-231-5215.
Thanks for your interest and by giving your usable soap scraps or ends, you will help someone here in the U.S. in great need. Donation receipt deadline is September 3rd, 2010.
Contact Vanessa Cochran for any further questions at email@soapfarm.com. Thanks to Delores Harris, HSMG Public Relations Director, and her volunteer Committee for their efforts.
5 Comments on “United Way Day and Catholic Charities”
HSMG collaborates with my local United Way for a worthy cause! Local soapmakers in the Greater Binghamton area can drop off soaps at my Soap Studio as a drop off point and ACHIEVE will pick up our soap here!
Maria Gelnett
mgelnett@soapguild.org
I like how The United Way, Catholic Charities and Achieve NY are keeping the memory of Sept 11 alive. It has brought back so many memories of that day and how we pulled together as a nation.
What a great opportunity to help those less fortunate than ourselves! Donating to the needy is such a rewarding experience. If you want to ‘make your day’, donate to those in need! This is a worthwhile program; Catholic charities tend to focus on women and children (in my experience). I’m guessing that’s where these donations will go and you certainly can’t go wrong helping children and women!
What a great idea. I should have something to send along. I sometimes make soap for my local food pantry; hygiene products are always a necessity.
fellow ny soapmakers,
Can you tell me if there are any special county, state permits I need to make soap at home for sales? I know there are cottage laws that allow homebakers to get a permit to sell. Is it the same for soaps and body products?