The news cycle is pretty bleak lately, but as Mr. Rogers famously reminded us, it’s important to take time to look for the helpers. Medical professionals, personal protective equipment producers, emergency workers, grocery store workers, utilities workers, and more have all continued providing essential services to keep our day-to-day lives running as smoothly as possible, even as the world takes historic measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Without their efforts, things would be even more difficult.
In this post, we are celebrating more helpers: Kaspien partners that have gone beyond their normal operations to support their communities locally and across the nation.
SRAM, QBP, and HLC Provide DTC Shipping to Help Keep Local Bike Shops in Business
SRAM, a brand that produces bike components and accessories, is working with Quality Bike Products (QBP), and Hawley-Lambert Company (HLC) to provide direct-to-consumer (DTC) shipping for local bike shops. Bikes sales tend to rise in spring and summer, and these shops depend on these seasonal sales to continue operating. SRAM’s, QBP’s, and HLC’s efforts will allow shoppers to still patronize local bike shops during quarantines without having to physically visit the store, helping these local businesses stay in business even as more people practice social distancing.
Combat Wipes Donates Sanitary Wipes to Local Police Department
Combat Wipes, a brand that produces sanitary wipes for use in the outdoors, made a large donation of their sanitary wipes to the Voorhees Police Department, to help officers stay safe as they continue working through quarantines. The biodegradable wipes can be taken with officers in their patrol vehicles and kept in the office, helping maintain sanitization policies.
BrilliantPad Helps Produce Surgical Masks
BrilliantPad, a brand that normally produces an automated indoor dog potty, has worked with one of their suppliers to repurpose their factory from creating BrilliantPad puppy pads to producing surgical face masks. These face masks are FDA and CE approved, complying with GB/T 32610-2016 and GB 15979 standards. The BrilliantPad team set up a new company, Chicago PPE and has already produced and shipped over 2 million masks.
They were recently featured on NPR and CNN for their great work. You can listen here.
Surgical masks can be purchased in bulk quantities by hospitals, governmental agencies, first responders, and critical care teams here.
Scotch Porter Provides Free Resources for Grooming, Fitness, Meditation, and Cooking
Scotch Porter is a brand that makes men’s grooming products. Practicing isolation and social distancing can take a toll on the mind and body, so Scotch Porter has begun creating a series of content via Instagram Live, articles, and videos to help people through the stressful climate. So far, they’ve produced content for the following:
- Grooming: How to groom and take care of yourself when you can’t visit the barbershop
- Fitness: Ab Circuit Workout w/ Blane Fitness @Blanefit and other fitness sessions
- Meditation: Live meditation/holistic healing sessions
- Cooking: Quick, Healthy & Yummy cooking demonstrations
Check out their article about how to manage your day with a routine and follow their Instagram to be alerted of their next wellness livestream.
Be a Helper
Uncertainty can be frightening, but taking action can be empowering. Not everyone or every business is in a position to take extra actions right now, but those that can, should, no matter small it may seem. The more we can help our communities and country, the easier this hardship will be.
For our part, Kaspien has leveraged our supply network to send hundreds of thousands of personal protective equipment to hospitals in several states. This effort could not have been done without our General Manager of Sourcing, Denise Abraham.
We’re also temporarily offering free access to our Amazon ad management software for 45 days to brands who could benefit from automating their marketing campaigns and increasing efficiency when there are so many things demanding our attention. We also temporarily reduced our commission rate for our FBA cost recovery software, so brands can get even more back from reimbursement cases during this time when brands have to tighten their belts.
Thank you to all the Helpers out there. Let’s get through this together.
