This year marks a major milestone for Cleaning for a Reason, an ISSA charity program celebrating 20 years of supporting cancer patients through donated professional cleaning services.

Since its founding in 2006, the program has grown into a powerful example of how the cleaning industry gives back—one home, one family, and one act of compassion at a time.

The celebration

To help commemorate the anniversary, Cleaning for a Reason is launching a special commemorative interview series spotlighting the people and partners behind the mission. The first conversation features Cheryl Cleavenger, partner manager for Cleaning for a Reason, who offered insight into the program’s growth, impact, and the generosity that continues to drive it forward.

Cleavenger joined Cleaning for a Reason in 2015 after decades in another field. What began as a career change quickly became something much more personal.

“I absolutely love what I’m doing,” Cleavenger said. “I joined Cleaning for a Reason, and it just seemed like the right fit for me for a great job, working with a small team and working in a different industry for me entirely.”

That small team now works closely with more than 1,400 residential cleaning companies across the United States and Canada. Together, those partners donate professional cleanings to cancer patients undergoing treatment, allowing families to focus on healing rather than household responsibilities.

“I think the awareness of a need has really grown over the past 10 years,” Cleavenger said. “These companies see this as a real way of giving back locally in their community but being part of a larger organization.”

Stepping up and helping

For many cleaning company owners and employees, the mission hits close to home.

“The personal connections that we have discovered that most of these cleaning companies have, either with a relative that has been lost to cancer or close friend, it touches so many lives,” Cleavenger said. “And that just gives it an extra meaning for them to be able to do this kind of a program.”

Partner involvement has evolved significantly since Cleavenger began her role. She pointed to growing awareness within the industry, along with broader changes in how cleaning professionals view their role in health and wellbeing.

“I think our residential companies have just seen the need for patients that have … it’s really expanded and grown,” she said. “And I think for a lot of them, it feels like a natural progression. This feels like a natural way to be able to give back locally because it’s something they do all the time anyway.”

Everyone counts, everyone matters

Capacity varies among partners, but participation at every level makes a difference. Most companies commit to helping two patients at a time, typically donating two cleanings per month. Some, however, have gone far beyond that baseline.

“We have 51 cleaning partners that take a minimum of eight patients at a time,” Cleavenger said. “We have 12 … that take over 20 patients a month. And some of those have even said, ‘Oh, just set my limit at 100. I’ll take as many as come in.’”

Behind every donated cleaning is a carefully coordinated process designed to protect patients’ dignity and make participation manageable for partners. Patients apply through the program, and Cleaning for a Reason matches them with a nearby company based on zip codes and availability.

“We try our very best to keep those zip codes convenient for the maid service,” Cleavenger said. “So that they’re not driving an hour to get to a patient because that would really make it prohibitive.”

It all adds up

Over two decades, those efforts have added up to nearly $23 million in donated cleaning services. For Cleavenger, the number represents more than a financial figure.

“It really is a defining key ingredient of how dedicated the cleaning industry in general, but the residential cleaning companies, their dedication to giving back,” she said. “That doesn’t just happen automatically.”

As the program looks ahead, Cleavenger encouraged cleaning companies, patients, and supporters alike to get involved.

“If you’re a cleaning company, please, please look deep in your heart to see if this is something that you can take on,” she said. “It could make the difference in a family, struggling or being okay with where they are during a treatment time.”

She also shared a story that continues to resonate with her. A company once told her they needed to leave the program, only to rejoin days later.

“She said, ‘All my girls came in and said they were going to quit if we stopped doing Cleaning for a Reason,’” Cleavenger said. “It becomes more than just a job.”

As Cleaning for a Reason reflects on 20 years of service, the message is clear: compassion, coordination, and commitment remain at the heart of an industry making a meaningful difference where it matters most.

To learn more, apply, or support the program, visit cleaningforareason.org.