Young Living Comes Together With Community Through Relief Efforts
The global pandemic resulting from the emergence of Covid-19 has created massive losses for communities of all kinds. Along with the devastating health impacts of the virus, millions of people have lost their jobs, supply chains have been interrupted, and public services have been overwhelmed with the increased need. While it’s important to understand the tragic impact of this virus, it’s also important to look to signs of light that show individuals and organizations coming together to fight it. One story we wanted to shed light on is the efforts of Young Living, a leading essential oil company, as it works with its community and contributes to relief efforts.
Alleviating child poverty
Children are often the hardest hit by situations of instability. Unable to provide for themselves, children living in poverty or other hardship conditions can be amongst society’s most vulnerable when the additional burden is placed upon them. This reality has become even more apparent through the emergence of Covid-19. With job losses running rampant through the country, many families and children have been forced to deal with unimaginable levels of hardship. This has been compounded for those children living in poverty who were already dependent on systems that have since become bogged down with handling unprecedented increases in unemployment.
To help contribute to relief efforts in this space, Young Living has worked extensively with the non-profit known as Baby2Baby. The organization states its mission as “providing children living in poverty, ages 0-12 years, with diapers, clothing, and all the basic necessities that every child deserves.” In recent years, the organization has worked to distribute over 100 million items to children in domestic violence programs, homeless shelters, foster care, and other precarious situations. The essential oils company has worked alongside the non-profit in recent months to help support its ongoing effort to serve children impacted by the global pandemic. This work has included the donation of items valued at over $800,000. Donated items include baby wipes, toothpaste, soap, and more.
Food contributions
One basic need that is ever-present for individuals in vulnerable situations is the need for a reliable source of food. Understanding this need, the essential oils company has been engaging in efforts to support its local community through these difficult times via the donation of food items. As stay at home recommendations were put in place, the company realized that it had plenty of food on hand at its cafe that would be available for donation. It quickly joined forces with the Utah Food Bank and was able to donate 400 pounds of food for distribution to those experiencing food insecurity.
The company’s efforts in this realm continued after that initial donation and remains a focus of its ongoing relief efforts. This work has manifested through its partnership with the non-profit Utah Community Action. Founded in 1965, the non-profit has become nationally recognized for its dedication to serving its community. It does this through six core programs focusing on education, social services, nutrition assistance, and aiding families in finding safe shelter. The essential oils company has contributed to the non-profit’s drive to provide nutrition assistance by donating food to its local programs. To date, Young Living has provided more than 4,000 pounds of food to the organization for use in feeding in-need children, adults, and seniors in the local community.
Contributing supplies
As the CDC and other health organizations have come out with recommendations as to how to keep communities safe, many institutions have found it difficult to assemble the supplies needed to satisfy requirements. Without ready access to masks, sanitizer, and other items of importance, these organizations risk jeopardizing vulnerable individuals in their community. With an understanding of the need to progress forward in a safe and measured manner, the essential oils company has worked with local organizations to help provide them with many of the supplies they require in order to reopen in a responsible manner.
One example of this is the company’s work with the YMCA of Utah, an organization that plays a critical role in its community, serving over 225 residents each night. This community service is important at any time but has become even more critical during the pandemic when many of the country’s most vulnerable people are bearing the brunt of gaps in infrastructure and support. In order to support the YMCA in its ongoing efforts to serve this population, the essential oils company has donated personal hygiene products, socks, and 500 bottles of hand sanitizer. This contribution has aided the organization in serving its community in a safe and responsible manner.
About the company
The above efforts from Young Living are perhaps unsurprising for those who know the company well. With roots that date back to before it was officially founded, it has long been a fixture in its local community. Those roots reach back to its humble beginning as a personal project of D. Gary Young and Mary Young as they sought to grow and extract their own oils for personal use. As the quality of their oils became widely known, however, the couple decided to embark upon the journey of opening their process up to a larger business venture.
That journey has seen the company grow precipitously over the years but has also seen it maintain a connection to the individuals and organizations which it serves. The company cultivates many of its plant materials locally in Utah and Idaho and makes sure to work responsibly with farming partners from around the world. Beyond its relief efforts tied to the current pandemic, it has long maintained a humanitarian presence in the areas of education and poverty alleviation through its charitable foundation.
Though the emergence of Covid-19 has thrown the world in disarray, there have also been stories of triumph that have emerged from the chaos. As we’ve seen in this article, community-minded organizations, such as Young Living, have used the opportunity to come to the aid of individuals and institutions across the country. As tragic as the pandemic has been, these stories of humanity help to remind us all that there are still many people and organizations actively working to make the world a better place.