FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 23, 2008
CONTACTS:
Greta Houlahan
NSF International
Phone: +1.734.913.5723
Email:
houlahan@nsf.org
Anne Duffy
World Vision
Phone: +1.202.572.6340
Email:
aduffy@worldvision.org
NSF International Donates Over 1 Million Bars of Soap
Donation to World Vision, United Way and United Sisters of Charity will Help
Communities in Need throughout the U.S. & Zambia
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ANN ARBOR, MI - NSF International, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to
protecting and improving public health for over 60 years, announced today a
donation of over 1 million bars of soap. The donation was made to World Vision,
United Way and the United Sisters of Charity. These organizations will help
distribute the soap throughout Southeastern Michigan; Appalachia, WV; Bronx, NY
and Zambia in Africa.
A World Vision staff member delivered some
of the soap last month during her visit to Zambia.
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Little boy in Zambia learns how to properly
wash his hands.
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 Left:
Mike Mason, G.S.A.; Bill Knott, World Vision; Robin Bechanko, NSF; Marcia Miner
& Sandra Rupp, Washtenaw United Way; Nina Batie, United Sisters of Charity;
and Will Fisher, NSF help load truck with soap.
|
 Stan
Hazan, NSF Director of Regulatory Affairs (left) and Will Fisher, NSF Vice
President pitch in to load the soap.
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"NSF International is honored to join World Vision, the United Way and the
United Sisters of Charity in efforts to prevent the spread of illness by
providing soap and encouraging proper handwashing techniques," said NSF Vice
President William Fisher. "This donation will help thousands throughout the
United States and Zambia live safer."
The United Way of Washtenaw County and Wayne County's United Sisters of Charity
will distribute the soap to homeless shelters and other community organizations
throughout Michigan.
"This donation will help our organization provide hygiene products to the
hundreds of individuals and families we serve," said Nina Batie, Director of
the United Sisters of Charity, a Wayne County Soup Kitchen. "We thank NSF for
allowing grass roots non-profit organizations, like ours, an opportunity to
broaden our services to the community."
"United Way of Washtenaw County is thrilled to have the opportunity to help NSF
distribute the soap through our agency partners that assist the homeless,
provide healthcare and work with youth in our community," said Sandra R. Rupp,
President, United Way of Washtenaw County. "We are grateful to our friends at
NSF for this generous donation of soap."
World Vision will distribute the soap to homeless shelters in Appalachia, the
Bronx, as well as to HIV/AIDS caregivers in Zambia. World Vision and Genesis
Service Associates, an NSF partner based in Ann Arbor, Mich., will cover the
cost of shipping the soap.
"This gift shows that great things are accomplished when business, non-profits
and faith-based communities join forces to help others," said Bill Knott, World
Vision Senior Area Director. "It's wonderful to see the wide variety of needs
this donation will meet."
NSF's Scrub Club, launched in 2004, is a series of web-based, interactive
resources designed to teach children proper handwashing techniques and hygiene
habits. The website (
www.scrubclub.org)
features seven animated "soaper heroes" who work together to fight germs and
bacteria. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
the single most important thing we can do to keep from getting sick and
spreading illness is to wash our hands. The Scrub Club teaches the six steps of
proper handwashing to help reduce the spread of illness.
About NSF International: NSF International, an independent,
not-for-profit organization, helps protect you by certifying products and
writing standards for food, water and consumer goods (
www.nsf.org).
Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting public health and safety
worldwide. NSF is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Food and
Water Safety and Indoor Environment. Additional services include safety audits
for the food and water industries, management systems registrations delivered
through NSF International Strategic Registrations, organic certification
provided by Quality Assurance International and education through the NSF
Center for Public Health Education.
About World Vision: World Vision is a Christian relief and
development organization dedicated to helping children and their communities
worldwide reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty. World
Vision serves the world's poor regardless of a person's religion, race,
ethnicity, or gender. For more information, visit
www.worldvision.org.