Food pantry at the San Diego Rescue Mission.

When we founded Clean the World four years ago, our goal was simple: Collect discarded hotel soap, recycle it, and send it to developing countries. The idea was to save lives in places where millions of people die from illnesses that can be prevented with hand washing.

What we didn’t realize at the time was that we also had an opportunity to make a difference in our own back yard by partnering with community-minded organizations. Here in the United States, Clean the World’s ONE Project provides much-needed hygiene products to people who struggle to meet their family’s basic needs due to economic misfortune or natural disaster.

Companies, churches, schools, clubs and fraternal organizations host events where they assemble hygiene kits as a way to improve teamwork and create a renewed focus on community. By distributing the kits locally, they experience first-hand how something so simple can have such a profound impact on the lives of others.

In February, our friends at Starwood Hotels hosted a ONE Project event at their conference in San Diego. The group assembled 500 hygiene kits, which were donated to the San Diego Rescue Mission.

Recently we received a follow-up from Mark Legace, who is the individual gifts manager at the mission. He wanted to let Starwood and Clean the World know that hundreds of hungry and homeless men, women, and children will enjoy the high-quality hygiene necessities and notes of encouragement supplied in those kits.

“It was fun for me to cheer all the teams on and see all the beautiful donations being assembled to make a homeless person’s day,” Legace said. “Thank you again for organizing this great project to help so many hungry and homeless men, women, and children here in San Diego. Hopefully there will be more opportunities for us to partner together again in the future to help more San Diegans in need.”

That is what inspires all of us to keep pushing ahead with the Global Hygiene Revolution.

Thousands of great partners such as Starwood. Thousands of housekeepers collecting soap and bottled amenities. Thousands of volunteers processing the items in Orlando and Las Vegas. Thousands of supporters around the world. Hundreds of distribution partners. The entire Clean the World team. Collectively we are able to save lives with soap.

Thanks to each of you for doing your part.