Over the last week, as I watched the heartbreaking stories coming out of Texas in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, I am once again grateful to be working for a company that cares so much about people and communities.
It was awesome to see Norwex immediately jump in to disaster relief efforts by committing all donations made to the Norwex Foundation for a Brighter Future through September 8 to the American Red Cross in support of Hurricane Harvey relief. During this time, Norwex is matching each gift, dollar for dollar, up to $25,000!
The fundraising site was set up, after the foundation was overwhelmed by requests for the Norwex Cares Disaster Kits, which include microfibers to aid in post-disaster cleanup efforts. As soon as people understood the extent of devastation that Harvey would cause, independent Norwex consultants from all over the country contacted the foundation for the kits. Just last month, before anyone knew what was coming, volunteers at our national conference helped to assemble about 2,000 kits, expecting them to last an entire year. To date, Norwex has received 8,000 requests for the kits (!) and is currently unable to accept any more requests.
But where there’s a will, there’s a way and I’m so proud to share that my Go Green Team is working independently with our team members in Texas, to donate EnviroCloths and Window Cloths to those who are starting to cleanup. The reason these super absorbent cloths are so useful is that they are able to clean almost any surface using just water — no chemicals, and no need for additional supplies or paper towels. Not only that, but the Norwex microfibers have the ability to remove up to 99 percent of bacteria from a surface when following the proper care and use instructions — so important when cleaning up after floods, especially.
While the larger relief organizations are still setting up infrastructure for accepting donations of goods in affected areas, we hope that by working with our team members on the ground, we’ll be able to quickly get Norwex microfibers into the hands of people who really need them.
To me, the huge response from Norwex and our independent consultants isn’t really surprising.The desire to help others in need is a true testament to the heart and spirit of Norwex. Over the years, I’ve experienced these values and generosity over and over again. For many of us the mission to make our planet and homes healthier and safer is what initially inspired us to become involved with Norwex. Realizing how much the company’s culture is about giving and mutual support is what has kept us here.
Just learning about everything the Norwex Foundation does, has been amazing. In addition to disaster relief, the foundation works with Norwex independent consultants to support local non-profit organizations through its Charitable Award program. Since 2013, it has donated more than $550,000 to 85 different grassroots organizations globally. It also partners with environmental groups like Washed Ashore and The Nature Conservancy. So Norwex doesn’t just talk the talk about making the world a better place, it walks the walk — and so do Norwex consultants.
If you would like to learn more about the Norwex Foundaiton for a Brighter Future go to norwexfoundation.org. If you want to make a donation to the Red Cross through Norwex, visit the Crowdrise page. Or, if you want to help the Green Team send Norwex Microfibers to Texas, please get in touch with me.
