Louisville-based global health organization SOS on Tuesday donated more than $23,000 worth of personal hygiene supplies and personal protection equipment that was distributed to 16 nonprofits in the Owensboro region.
The event was organized by The Center of Owensboro-Daviess County.
“We are incredibly grateful for our partnership with SOS,” said Erica Wade, Executive Director of The Center. “Their generosity is a tremendous blessing to so many organizations in Owensboro and Daviess County during this challenging time.”
Wade said SOS reached out to The Center last week and indicated that they had pallets of personal hygiene items and PPE, and that they were interested in giving them to some of the shelters in the Owensboro area.
“SOS is very committed to providing ‘Health & Hope’ to those in need in the Owensboro community,” said Denise Sears, President and CEO of SOS. “We have supported schools and nonprofits in the region for several years and we proactively reached out to see how we could increase our outreach knowing the needs would be greater this year due to COVID-19.”
Wade helped expand the list to include other area nonprofits, and The Center worked on lists of supplies that each organization needed.
Some organizations — such as the homeless shelters — will utilize more of the hygiene items including dry shampoo or waterless bath kits and razors. Others will take more advantage of PPE including face shields, masks and gloves.
“We tried to make sure it was things the organizations could use, so we tailored each group of supplies to their actual needs,” Wade said. “We were able to give SOS numbers, and they provided the materials. We just helped them connect the dots with some of the organizations here in town.”
The organizations benefiting from the donation include:
- Boulware Mission
- CASA of Ohio Valley
- Crossroads
- Daniel Pitino Shelter
- Fresh Start for Women
- Friends of Sinners
- St. Gerard Life Home
- Help Office
- Mary Kendall Home
- OASIS
- St. Benedict’s Men’s Shelter
- St. Benedict’s Women & Families Services
- St. Joseph’s Peace Mission
- The Center of Owensboro-Daviess County
- Community Dental Clinic
- Senior Community Center of Owensboro-Daviess County
Wade said the donations were especially crucial this year, but that there is always a need to help nonprofits.
“It’s critical,” she said. “Not only is it a safety need, but as nonprofits, every dollar counts. Any time we can help provide or help connect people with resources like this to save a little bit of that money, that’s money they don’t have to spend on PPE that can go towards programming and helping people.”
SOS focuses on mitigating health disparities in underserved communities by providing critically needed medical supplies and health resources. SOS partners with over 100 hospitals and other medical institutions to recover surplus medical supplies and equipment.
The Center is a community-focused organization, designed to provide a central resource “hub” for local organizations serving those in need, as well as to provide support for children and families in Owensboro-Daviess County. The Center’s primary program areas include resource referral, supervised family visitations, family enrichment programs, community outreach and family therapy services.
