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The Impact of Charitable Programs in the Cleaning Community & Beyond

Categories: ISSA Insights

GivingTuesday was created in 2012 to inspire millions of people to donate, collaborate, celebrate generosity, give back to the community, and help those in need. That’s exactly what ISSA Charities™ does: they’re a nonprofit organization whose mission is to make the world a cleaner, healthier, better place to live. ISSA Charities offers several options for donating to causes that help people in the cleaning industry and the general community.

Cleaning for a Reason® provides free home cleanings to those going through cancer treatment while ISSA Scholars helps individuals fulfill their dreams of higher education. The ISSA Hygieia Network provides education, mentoring, networking, and support programs to help women succeed in the workplace.

ISSA Charities has set a goal to reach US$30,000 on this year’s GivingTuesday and they can’t do it without your support. This year, GivingTuesday falls on November 29.

But don’t just take our word for it! Take a look at these stories from people who have been impacted by this charitable work.

Georgia-Rae Jones applied for scholarships with ISSA Scholars to afford her dream school.

“My senior year of high school, I had gotten into my top schools, which was great, but when it came to how my family would realistically make it happen financially, it was very frustrating and made me feel pessimistic about my future. I can honestly say I would not have gone to my dream school without this scholarship,” said Jones, who graduated with a double-major in science business and Spanish from the University of Notre Dame. She was awarded the Jack D. Ramaley Scholarship Award in 2011 by ISSA Scholars. After graduation, she went on to work at Deloitte and received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School in Atlanta in 2022.

“I had a variety of experiences while in school, studying abroad in Spain and creating a robust professional network,” said Jones. “It’s been amazing to see the impact this scholarship had on me.”

“It’s so important to help these types of scholarships to make a huge difference in so many people’s lives. Even those who may seem to have a ‘normal’ background, often need help with college expenses. I’m thankful to everyone who has donated to ISSA Scholars for the doors this scholarship opened for me,” said Jones.

It is all our duty to help someone in need. How can we stand by and not?

When the owner of Maids and Moore Cleaning Services, Holly Moore, saw the heartbreak her friend experienced after losing a family member to cancer, she knew her cleaning company had to be part of something bigger. Learning about Cleaning for a Reason lit a fire to give back to the community and offer peace of mind to cancer patients and their loved ones through free home cleaning.

“Life is short. I want to give people more time to do what they enjoy!”

“It is so rewarding to offer any amount of help and service for the patients,” Moore stated. “Having an environment that’s healthy for them to heal in—a safe haven—takes the stress off them to not have to worry about mundane chores. Small acts of love through service.”

“No matter what you can give, something is more than nothing.”

Since 2008, Maids and Moore Cleaning Services has donated $109,056 in house cleanings to 281 cancer patients throughout the Travis and Montgomery Counties in Texas. Holly and her company continue to bring awareness to Cleaning for a Reason and their shared vision of service through educating the public, volunteering, and partnering with local businesses.

Kenisha Middlebrooks joined the ISSA Hygieia Network mentoring program in 2020.

When asked what motivated Middlebrooks to become a mentee, she felt it was time to develop her career through formal networking and mentorship. “I wanted to challenge myself to be vulnerable and get an experienced opinion from leaders within the cleaning industry.”

In meetings with her mentor, Middlebrooks learned how to set proper boundaries while being accessible for escalated issues and how to take actionable steps towards clear meeting agendas, presentation decks, and follow-up emails to ensure organizational goals. “Leadership is not ’black and white’. It looks different depending on the scope and company. Flexibility is one of the biggest tools while being mindful of your worth. Your health, in all aspects, directly impacts your work,” she said.

“I was surprised at how comfortable the conversations with my mentor became. I truly felt psychologically safe to discuss situations and gain valuable career feedback.”

“Women in all industries struggle, but there are glass ceilings that often keep women in entry level to middle manager roles. Mentoring opens the eyes in these seats to see the women sitting in director, vice president, and CEO seats at world class organizations,” said Middlebrooks. “Mentoring also provides an avenue for C-Suite leaders to provide advice and ‘pay it forward’ to mentees who are eager to learn!”

Middlebrooks notes that mentorship is not only for managers, but for everyone that wants to grow in their career and network. “Don’t overthink it, just do it! Yes, it might be scary at first, but mentors at ISSA Hygieia Network are invested in your time and growth.”

Kenisha Middlebrooks has been named the 2022 ISSA Hygieia Network Rising Star of the Year.

These are just a few stories to show the impact that ISSA Charities has on the people they serve. Your donation will help them to accomplish their mission while helping the cleaning industry and beyond through their non-profit community programs. Help ISSA Charities reach their GivingTuesday goal today.

Meet the people who benefit from ISSA Charities programs.

How an ISSA Charities Scholarship Changed the Life of an Emerging Professional

The Power of Mentoring: Kenisha Middlebrooks

About the Author.

Sandy Wolfrum is the Director of Development for ISSA Charities. You can reach her at [email protected].