After leaving exhausting hospital care, chemotherapy, or surgery, the last thing anyone wants to do is clean their house.
Fortunately, the nonprofit Cleaning for a Reason provides free home cleanings to cancer patients so they can focus on rest and recovery — not household chores.
Debbie Sardone — founder of Cleaning for a Reason — told Denver 7 News that the service comes with “no strings attached.”
“We have over 1,200 cleaning services throughout the entire United States and Canada, giving back to their community by serving families who are battling cancer with the gift of free cleaning,” Sardone said.
The concept of Cleaning for a Reason first came from a phone call.
Sardone was running a cleaning company when she received a call from a woman in chemotherapy. After Sardone gave her a quote, the caller said she couldn’t afford it because of her treatment expenses.
“I was in business mode and I wasn’t thinking and we hung up — and this was before the days of caller ID,” Sardone recollected. “And I sat there at my desk and I wondered, ‘Why did I not think to just offer her the cleaning for free?’”
Since it was founded in 2006, Cleaning for a Reason has partnered with 1,300 cleaning companies, served over 50,000 patients, and donated about $15 million in services.
Cleaning for a Reason is a designated charity of ISSA, the Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association. The nonprofit relies on a vast network of residential cleaners and volunteers to sweep in and help people who are emotionally drained and physically limited.
“After my cancer diagnosis, I tried to wrap my head around what it would mean on a practical level to not really use either of my arms for six weeks after bilateral surgery,” one client, Elyssa, said in a website post. “[This] program swept in and did what I couldn’t.”
Cleaning for a Reason recently partnered with cleaning company, Truly Free, which specializes in non-toxic and refillable cleaning supplies that are better for people and the environment.
Starting this October, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, Truly Free is donating free cleaning supplies to cancer patients and Cleaning for a Reason’s partner companies. Just one of many partner companies, the brand hopes to make a ripple effect for Cleaning For A Reason, pledging to continue donating supplies on a monthly basis for the foreseeable future.
“Truly Free is committed to making a difference in the lives of cancer patients,” said Stephen Ezell, CEO of Truly Free. “We firmly believe that everyone, particularly those battling cancer and facing weakened immune systems due to treatment, deserves a safe and non-toxic home environment.”
Any individual with cancer living in the U.S. or Canada can qualify for Cleaning for a Reason. They can sign up directly or be nominated by a friend or family member.
Header image courtesy of Cleaning for a Reason
