Nothing makes Alsco prouder than our gifting program that began with the repurposing of useful first aid products that have reached their nominal expiry date.
Our teams, ably led by our wonderful volunteer Alsco Ambassadors, now support more than 40 different charitable organisations, and many of these have multiple sites in New Zealand, including Shine and Healthy Homes.
Seven of the organisations we support send our products overseas, an example is MAA (Medical Aid Abroad).
We have been busy over the first five years. Products donated to good causes include...
3186 First Aid Kits
19182 Sheets
5954 Pillow Cases
183 Special Orders
Other products gifted consist of Cartons of First Aid products, Blankets, Towels, Table Cloths, Hand Sanitisers, Duvet Covers, Garments, Office Chairs and Hospital Linen.
A few nice stories...
Donated First Aid Kits are made up out of surplus and expired First Aid products. In the main they go to needy families in New Zealand and are distributed by Shine (who work with NZ Police dealing with domestic abuse situations), and Healthy Homes (who work with the Hospital Boards to help make family homes safer and healthier).
We also support these organisations with hundreds of sheets and pillow cases too.
We have supplied goods to 22 Shine locations and 7 Healthy Home locations so far.
We understand there is a considerable need for cot sheets in these homes as well, so we have developed a great relationship with the nice team at the Manurewa Men’s Shed (and they include ladies too) . They have been making cot sheets for charity out of our damaged sheets. In the last three years they have crafted over 600 cot sheets which we forwarded to needy causes.
Stand is another organisation we love to support. They work with disadvantaged children, and we have donated used Table Cloths for the children to make Christmas Table Cloths in workshops. They are able to take these home for their Family festivities.
We have also donated Black Table Cloths to Boomerang Bags in Dominion Road who make up Shopping Bags which are left in locations around Dominion Road for people to use and pass on, or return to the location for further use.
Damaged sheets have been donated to curtain banks to use as curtain linings, and even been rolled up to make doorway draft stoppers to make homes warmer.
It has been and still is most satisfying to see surplus Alsco stock that would have probably ended up as landfill used for a good purpose.
These ladies are absolutely fantastic - and special