SC Johnson, an industry-leading manufacturer of household cleaning and other consumer and professional products, is donating an additional €120,000 to help Save the Children address urgent local needs of vulnerable children and families across Europe.
Donations supporting projects in the UK, Germany, Spain and Switzerland builds on SC Johnson’s global partnership with the charity, including a $1 million (€820,000) donation made earlier this year to help educate and equip children worldwide with resources to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Covid-19 has had a devastating impact on vulnerable families and children around the world, exacerbating poverty challenges including access to health services, nutrition and education,” said Alan VanderMolen, Chief Communications Officer of SC Johnson. “I am grateful for the work Save the Children is doing and proud that SC Johnson can support it.”
“We’re proud to continue partnering with SC Johnson to support children around the world who are most impacted by the pandemic,” said Caroline Whatley, Chair of Global Partnerships, Save the Children. “With Covid-19 leaving more children out of schools and in poverty, providing support and resources is more important than ever.”
Donations will educate and enable more than 2,000 children and their caregivers across the region through a variety of local projects, including:
- An emergency response program in the UK to support families living in poverty who have had their circumstances and learning made even more challenging by the pandemic. The program will see 150 children provided with learning resources to help development at home, household products vital to development, food and vouchers for families experiencing food insecurity, and Covid-19 resource packs with information to help caregivers manage their emotional wellbeing.
- Educational support to children and families in Spain affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, with an emphasis on preventing marginalised and vulnerable children from dropping out of school. The project will provide 214 children with education support on numeracy and literacy, along with helping caregivers to use positive teaching methods.
- Support for homeless children and young adults in Germany through tools to protect against Covid-19 and to empower them to transition into safer and self-determined lives. The project aims to reach 1,000 children and young adults through emergency kits, outreach work, access to a 24-hour toll-free support line and improved safeguarding.
- Improvement to living conditions of children in asylum seeking shelters in Switzerland, through coaching and workshops for shelter staff, awareness raising for child protection within asylum and migration, teaching positive parenting, and creating spaces for child-centered activities. The project will support 800 staff, children, youth and parents.
SC Johnson continues to assess ways to address the needs of children and families around the world as the Covid-19 pandemic evolves.