WASHINGTON, March 22, 2021 /CSRwire/ – In celebration of World Water Day, Global Water Challenge (GWC), an international coalition committed to universal access to clean water and community empowerment, announced its latest partnership to help address water access and quality challenges in the United States.

The partnership between women for water, a clean water and women’s empowerment action platform founded by GWC, and Lasting Smiles organic and sustainable lip care products, enables consumers to support clean water, sanitation and hygiene projects in the country’s most vulnerable communities. The innovative give-back program allows every consumer to select women for water as the non-profit of their choice with an e-commerce purchase at www.lastingsmiles.org. Lasting Smiles donates 50% of the sale directly to the non-profit selected by the consumer. The partners are also committed to raise awareness of the issue via social and influencer campaigns.

According to the U.S. Water Alliance[1], over 2.2 million Americans lack water access at home and up to 44 million more live in regions with running water that is unsafe to drink. Proceeds from the sale of Lasting Smiles lip balms will help address water challenges in vulnerable US communities. In response to the growing domestic crisis made more severe due to COVID 19, women for water is scaling its reach in the U.S. with leading impact partners who implement critical interventions ranging from home water systems to community water services.

“High risk American communities, with women at the center, face water, sanitation and hygiene access (WASH) issues every day. This is a public health crisis that is intensifying due to the economic impacts of COVID-19 where sustainable home water access is becoming unaffordable or unattainable,” said Monica Ellis, CEO of GWC. “Our partnership with Lasting Smiles addresses multiple, critical American social issues including improving public health, reducing inequality, building community resilience and preventing the spread of COVID-19,” said Ellis.

From the Navajo Nation, where families drive long distances to haul barrels of water to their homes, to West Virginia, where communities drink from polluted streams, the crisis most impacts low-income people in rural areas, people of color, tribal communities and immigrants.

“The pandemic and climate change have deepened the need to join together to take action and raise money for water services that promote health and wellbeing for our communities,” said Zoe Mesnik-Greene, Founder of Lasting Smiles. “With this partnership, supporters can purchase sustainable and affordable organic lip balms to "hydrate" their lips and 50% of their purchase price is donated to women for water to “hydrate” communities in need.”

For further information please visit https://www.lastingsmiles.org/partners/wfw-women-for-water/

[1] http://uswateralliance.org/sites/uswateralliance.org/files/publications/Closing%20the%20Water%20Access%20Gap%20in%20the%20United%20States_DIGITAL.pdf

CONTACT
Madeline Flamik
GWC-women for water
madeline.flamik@getf.org
+1 703-939-8235

About the partners

Global Water Challenge (GWC)
Founded in 2006, Global Water Challenge (GWC) is a coalition of leading organizations committed to achieving universal access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and women’s empowerment. With companies, civil society partners, and governments, GWC accelerates the delivery of safe water and sanitation and supports gender equality through partnerships that catalyze financial support and drive innovation for sustainable solutions. Through GWC’s innovative public-private partnerships, over 2 million people have been reached with clean water access, sanitation and hygiene training. For more information, please visit globalwaterchallenge.org.

women for water™
women for water, launched by Global Water Challenge (GWC), is a clean water and women’s empowerment action platform advancing gender equity by empowering women and girls in 10,000 communities through water access, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and life skills programs by 2030. Grounded on the pathbreaking Ripple Effect research, women for water galvanizes investment and collective action at the intersection of water and women’s empowerment and currently scales impact in 15 countries in Africa, North and South America, the Middle East and Central Asia. Join the platform through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and womenforwater.com.

Lasting Smiles®
Lasting Smiles Lip Care was created to care for people and the planet. The company’s products are formulated with certified organic and fair-trade ingredients and sustainable materials. Lasting Smiles lip balm tubes are the first in the industry to be made with 100% post-consumer recycled packaging. Every Lasting Smiles lip care product pack comes with a surprise, empowering self-care message. For more information, visit the company’s website: www.lastingsmiles.org

Global Environment & Technology Foundation (GETF)

Global Environment & Technology Foundation (GETF)

The Global Environment & Technology Foundation (GETF), established in 1988, is a leading 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to accelerate sustainable development through partnerships that deliver impact at scale. GETF builds and manages high impact public-private partnerships improving the lives of over 10 million people in 65 countries through water access, sanitation and hygiene, health systems strengthening, entrepreneurship, women’s empowerment, sustainable agriculture and climate resilience. Partnership platforms under GETF’s management include the Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN), The Coca-Cola Foundation’s signature community water initiative, the Water and Development Alliance (WADA) and Project Last Mile Partnership (PLM) both partnerships between The Coca-Cola Company and USAID. GETF serves as the Secretariat for two high-impact water coalitions – Global Water Challenge and the US Water Partnership.  For more information visit http://www.getf.org.

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