The community has once again stepped up in a big way to support Steinbach Community Outreach (SCO).
On April 24, the second annual Soap For Hope was held outside Pharmasave in Steinbach. From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., bins quickly filled with soap and hygiene products, thanks to the generosity of local residents.
Now that the donations have been sorted, SCO Executive Director Madeleine Thiessen says it’s an incredible sight.
“It is beautiful to see. You know what’s beautiful to me might not be beautiful to everybody else, but this is beautiful to see because we have body wash for people, it's a huge thing. I love body wash, and it smells so nice in here.”
Thiessen points out that while many people might take basic hygiene products like body wash or dish soap for granted, they mean a great deal at SCO.
Another essential item on their wish list was laundry pods, and the community delivered.
“I'm just so impressed with what we've all gotten. We have our laundry soap, now we can give out a package of laundry soap to people. You know how long that's going to last us? That's going to last us for so long. And this is great because now people can be clean!”
Each month, clients visit SCO to receive hygiene packs.
“They get three items that they can pick. They can pick dish soap, they can get shampoo, toilet paper, laundry soap, or body wash.”
Thiessen adds that two- or three-in-one body washes are especially useful for clients who don't have stable housing.
“When you don't have a home to go to, one item instead of having three different bottles is easier to carry.”
Thanks to the success of Soap For Hope, Thiessen hopes that they will have enough supplies to support clients for the next nine months to a year.
“It just feels amazing. Like we just we are just so grateful. We're grateful to the community. We're grateful to you and to Pharmasave. They did an amazing job at packaging and everything and we're just we're so blessed to have such a generous community.”
She says the donations also bring some much-needed peace of mind.
“Now we don't have to turn people away. So, this is huge for us.”
For those who missed the drive, SCO is still accepting donations, and they are hoping for more toilet paper. They also welcome clothing and food donations year-round.
Looking ahead, Thiessen is excited about SCO’s upcoming 'Coffee for a Cause' fundraiser on May 8.
“We have amazing stories from some success stories from Outreach here, we have great music and lots of food, if you need tickets, come see us.”
With files from Carly Koop
@steinbach_online The community stepped up for #SteinbachCommunityOutreach through #SoapforHope ♬ original sound SteinbachOnline