High Ridge Brands Providing Up To 3 Million Showers-Worth Of Personal Care Products To Families In Need

Redemption of coupons for Zest®, Alberto VO5®, White Rain®, Coast® and Rave® will contribute to donations

"High Ridge Brands today announced that by simply redeeming coupons for some of America's favorite personal care brands, consumers can help provide up to three million showers-worth of soap, shampoo, conditioner and other essential items to impoverished families across America.

On February 2, many U.S. Sunday newspapers carried "Family of Values" themed inserts with coupons for the Zest®, Alberto VO5®, White Rain®, Coast® and Rave® brands, offering special savings on a range of high-quality personal care products.  Coupons can be downloaded from each brand's website as well.  For each coupon redeemed through March 15, 2014, High Ridge Brands will donate one shower's-worth of product from a participating brand to Family-to-Family's "Shower To The People", a poverty relief program of the non-profit organization Family-to-Family that will distribute items to local social service organizations.

The donation will help meet a serious need across America.  SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program, and other major Federal assistance programs don't cover personal care items, leading millions of families to reach out to local social service organizations for help.  A 2013 study by Feeding America found that of those surveyed who were unable to afford basic household goods, 55% reported skipping shampooing and 33% reported bathing without soap as a means to save money and cope with difficult economic times.  In addition, 40% of that study's low income respondents reported skipping or delaying their rent payment in the past year to afford non-food household essentials.

"High Ridge Brands is committed to improving the lives of families across America.  Plain and simple, everyone deserves to start their day with dignity, feeling clean and with their best foot forward," said James Daniels, CEO of High Ridge Brands.  "We are privileged to support the exceptional and essential work of Family-to-Family, which through programs like 'Shower To The People' makes a difference in our neediest neighbors' lives, every single day."    

"Hard as it is to believe, the most basic personal care items, like a bar of soap, or a bottle of shampoo, are especially hard to come by for families struggling to feed their families," said Pam Koner, Founder of Family-to-Family.  "We have long known this at Family-to-Family, and are grateful to companies like High Ridge Brands that choose to mobilize their resources and consumers to make a tangible difference."

In November, the first one million showers-worth of VO5, Zest and other high-quality High Ridge Brands products started shipping to social service organizations in over 20 states.  Consumers can increase the donation by up to another two million showers worth of products by redeeming specially-marked coupons through March 15, 2014.  The initiative is being promoted through each brand's social media channels and High Ridge Brands' e-club newsletter, with nearly a half-million members. "

For each coupon redeemed through March 15, 2014, High Ridge Brands will donate one shower’s-worth of product to Family-to-Family’s, “Shower To The People” program, a program that will distribute items to local social service organizations.

About High Ridge Brands

Headquartered in Stamford, CT, High Ridge Brands provides families with high quality personal care products at a great value. High Ridge Brands Family of Values portfolio includes Zest® in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, Alberto VO5® in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, as well as Rave®, White Rain® and Coast® personal cleansing brands globally. For more information, please visit www.highridgebrands.com.

About Family-to-Family

Family-to-Family, Inc. (www.family-to-family.org) is a grassroots nonprofit 501c3 hunger and poverty relief organization dedicated to providing food, personal hygiene products and other basic life essentials to American families struggling with the challenges of poverty. By connecting donors one-to-one with specific families in need, Family-to-Family brings a large and seemingly intractable problem – poverty – into personal focus,  making proactive, attainable results possible...one family at a time.