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The Columbus Foundation announces L Brands’ donation of 500,000 bottles of soap for first responders and nonprofits

COLUMBUS, OH (March 25, 2020) — The Columbus Foundation announced today that Bath & Body Works, an L Brands company, is donating half a million bottles of its liquid soaps to the City through The Columbus Foundation to help equip local nonprofits and first responders assisting others during this community crisis.

Today, volunteers are loading 15 semi-truck loads of the soap at L Brands facilities; from there they will be transported to City of Columbus warehouse facilities for distribution.

“We know this is an all-hands-on-deck time, and as a company we wanted to move immediately to help aid the most vulnerable in our community,” said a spokesperson at Bath & Body Works. “We appreciate the role that The Columbus Foundation and the City of Columbus are playing in facilitating the distribution of this product to the places and people that need it most.”

The need for supplies to protect the community from spreading COVID-19 is essential, and often in high demand.

“Every public health authority is stressing the need for frequent hand washing,” said Douglas F. Kridler, President and CEO of The Columbus Foundation. “However, soap is among the items in short supply at some key places of treatment and service right now. This incredible contribution is as enormous in importance as it is in scale, and couldn’t come at a better time.”

The Columbus Foundation launched the Emergency Response Fund on March 10 to assist nonprofit organizations that are experiencing a loss of revenue and/or an increase in operating costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund was seeded with a $1 million donation from the Foundation, though anyone can give to the fund, starting at $20. Donations to the Emergency Response Fund can be made here. Franklin County-serving nonprofits experiencing hardship due to a loss of revenue or an increase in operating expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic are eligible to apply for funds.


About The Columbus Foundation

The Columbus Foundation serves nearly 3,000 individuals, families, and businesses that have created unique funds and planned gifts to make a difference in the lives of others through the most effective philanthropy possible. The Columbus Foundation is Your Trusted Philanthropic Advisor® and one of the top 10 largest community foundations in the United States.

DATE
March 25, 2020