Salish Sea Soap Pebbles are a common commodity handed out by organizations like Destination Greater Victoria.
The little thank you gift carries the essence of the region, and ripples of good emanate from each handcrafted, upcycled, sudsy pebble.
The pebbles are among the initiatives developed at Soap for Hope in its first decade, one marked by massive growth, even as founder C. Anne McIntyre prepares for more in the next 10 years.
If she could leave a legacy, it would be to create a franchise model and build the framework so it can be done in another province.
“That I could see happening within the next 10 years. I really think this should be in every province, it’s so practical. That’s a lofty goal… but I know I can do it. I just have to dedicate the time to make it happen,” McIntyre said.
Other future plans might build on work already done with Island Health. Care workers could go into homes and identify those with needs, come to the warehouse and source the needed items.
“You just start talking. We already provide Island Health and care workers with a lot of products,” McIntyre said. “You don’t know when you talk to someone what the ripple effect is. So you just have to keep telling your story and saying why it’s important.”
They’re not unrealistic goals given the sustainable growth over the first 10 years. The program started supplying hygiene items – reclaimed products from hotels – to five shelters for one year “to figure it out” and it grew organically to 30 the next year, indicating a void in need.
“I don’t think it’s something you talk about,” McIntyre said. “In the news you hear about food insecurity, housing and mental health. Nobody talks about what happens when you don’t have proper hygiene.”
Now they provide hygiene kits for youth and seniors through 550 schools and social agencies across B.C. and Alberta.
“If you’re accessing the food bank, or you’re a child on the food program, most likely you don’t have these basics at home because they’re the easiest to cut off your shopping list,” McIntyre said.
The work is varied, distributing items like soap, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, feminine products and other essentials, as well as linens serving families, children, seniors low income families and people who are homeless or living in evacuation centres.
The organization aims to be more self reliant with additions of enterprises over the years—things like the Salish Sea Soap Pebbles, made with repurposed soap ends from an Alberta company. The ends are melted down for the organic bars of soap, and provided to youth and seniors. The soap pebbles are also sold in stores, with the newest batch coming to Country Grocer ahead of Mother’s Day.
The rock soap is also available in Second Hand Hope, which fills another space in the warehouse. Lost and found items from hotel partners line the walls and shelves there. Shoes, sunglasses, sweaters and scents, all the things people leave behind when they travel, are available for purchase.
Downstairs, shelves are lined with all the hygiene products donated to Goodwill in Alberta. Makeup, hair dye, creams, polishes and cleaners are all available for purchase by the general public at 50 cents a pop. Social agencies are also welcome to “shop” the shelves to fill their own pantries for clientele.
Over the decade, the group has pumped 12 million products back into the community and diverted one million from the landfill, all while tracking where they’re short, and seeking to fill those voids.
“We promote health and dignity through hygiene, it’s way more than soap,” McIntyre said. “We’re an abundant society and it’s just looking at resources differently. Everything we have is reprocessed from what would have gone in the garbage.”
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