Dear Friends, Partners, and Donors,
First, I hope you all have a healthy, prosperous, and blessed 2024 and beyond! Second, thank you for your incredible support of Clean the World, CTW Events, and The WASH Foundation. Without your generous support, we would not be able to fulfill our mission to help and love our neighbors!
Just a few years ago, we all had flip calendars in our offices, cubicles, and refrigerators. For me, it was always a special time to take down the previous year’s calendar to begin using the new calendar. While we may have fewer printed calendars around today, the changing of the year still brings the same feeling: a new year, new hopes, new goals, and positive growth in many areas of our lives.
Before tossing the old calendar out or packing it away in the memory box to discover years later, I always found myself flipping through the previous year to do something very important. Something I asked all of my team members to do at the end of 2023 and something I would love to do with you now: to reflect! Reflect on big wins, moments of impact, sadness, or loss. Reflect on what you truly enjoyed the previous year and want to lean into the next year to continue and reflect on challenges that will turn into learning lessons and growth opportunities for the new year.
So, allow us to take a minute to reflect on all the amazing outcomes we had in 2023. When we reflect, know this- these are your reflections. You own these, too, because all these moments of impact, service, support, and love to others were all made possible because of YOU!
Foundation 2023 Milestones
- Changed from Clean the World Foundation to The WASH Foundation to better align its mission of improving the quality of life of vulnerable populations through increased access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH).
- Distributed 10,093,811 bars of soap!
- Achieved over 12,000 volunteers by the end of the year.
- Engaged in 5 Humanitarian Response Operations (HROS), including the Turkey-Syria earthquake, the Maui wildfires, Tropical Storm Idalia, Middle East internally displaced persons (IDPs), and the flooding in the Dominican Republic.
- Impact: Sent 30,000 bars of soap and 17,000 hygiene kits were sent to Turkey. Sent 10,000 hygiene kits to the Maui Food Bank and sent 5,000 hygiene kits to World Vision for distribution in Maui (World Vision distributed half and saved the other half for Tropical Storm Idalia). Sent 2,500 hygiene kits to support those affected by Tropical Storm Idalia. Anticipated impacts from DR: distribution of 100 hygiene kits from the Hilton Foundation Grant and 200 sheets, 500 towels, and 2,500 bars of soap.
- Impact: Sent 30,000 bars of soap and 17,000 hygiene kits were sent to Turkey. Sent 10,000 hygiene kits to the Maui Food Bank and sent 5,000 hygiene kits to World Vision for distribution in Maui (World Vision distributed half and saved the other half for Tropical Storm Idalia). Sent 2,500 hygiene kits to support those affected by Tropical Storm Idalia. Anticipated impacts from DR: distribution of 100 hygiene kits from the Hilton Foundation Grant and 200 sheets, 500 towels, and 2,500 bars of soap.
- Mobile Hygiene Unit (MHU) Impacts: increased MHU showers to 17,646 across all markets and passed out 19,628 hygiene kits.
- Set to launch the comprehensive WASH project in Tororo, Uganda, in 2024, bringing improved water access, sanitation, WASH education, and menstrual health and hygiene livelihood training to approximately 21,697 people.
- Dominican Republic Impacts: delivered and launched the implementation of a year-long WASH-in-Schools teacher training to 34 teachers from 10 schools, impacting over 5,632 students, provided improved sanitation and hygiene infrastructure (hand washing stations) to 10 participating Punta Cana schools, distributed approximately 100 emergency hygiene kits, plus additional supplies, to people affected by the November 17-19, 2023, torrential rains that resulted in flooding.
Clean the World 2023 Milestones
- Established new headquarters in Amsterdam.
- Enhanced the Global Hospitality Recycling Program‘s Customer Portal with performance improvements, new features, and interactivity.
- As of 2023, collected 17,664,926 lbs (8,012,676 kg) of soap and 8,152,608 lbs (3,697,961 kg) of plastic bottles.
- As of 2023, diverted 25,817,534 lbs (11,710,636 kg) of waste from landfill.
- As of 2023, 10,698,645 KgCO2e reduction in Carbon Footprint.
- Conserved 57,542,450 gallons (26,100,816 liters) of water.
- Welcomed wonderful new members to the EU team: Angelique Berends, Antonio Oropallo, and Jean Claude to the team!
- Pioneered partnerships with Amsterdam City Council and Hyatt UK and Ireland.
- Received recognition from the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).
- After serving hotels for nearly 15 years, we’ve expanded our Global Hospitality Recycling Program to the short term rental industries and cruise lines industry.
- As the hospitality industry has shifted to using bulk amenity plastic bottles, our program has evolved to be a solution for recycling bulk amenity bottles.
CTW Events 2023 Milestones
- Launched as an independent brand.
- Packed 1 million kits (e.g., hygiene kits, comfort kits, and backpacks) globally.
- Introduced fully sustainable kit options, furthering our mission to make the world a better place by empowering the community.
- Formed impactful partnerships with industry leaders.
Looking to The Future
As I reflect on the powerful, joyous, challenging, and impactful year of 2023, I am even more ready to take on 2024. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for supporting our mission to make the world a better place. I can’t wait to see where this year takes us!
Sincerely,
Shawn Seipler
Founder & CEO, Clean the World Global
