Indigenous Sport & Wellness Ontario's response to COVID-19

In conjunction with Unilever Canada Inc. (“Unilever”) and Ornge, ISWO agreed to assume the role of lead organization in the distribution of a substantial volume of health care products (202 pallets), that Unilever was prepared to donate to the Indigenous community in Ontario to help relieve the challenges of the current pandemic. The donated product was comprised of 4,100 cases/49,200 bottles of hand sanitizer; 4,100 cases/49,200 bottles of hand wash and 4,487 cases / 133,888 units of anti-bacterial wet wipes. The donated product has a retail value of approximately $1 million CDN.

The logistical requirements to receive, store, sequence and then transport such a vast quantity of product is daunting. Moreover, ISWO was given a short time period, less than a half a day, to accept the offer to act as the lead coordinator to this important relief effort. Based on both the belief in our core competencies and the strength of the wide ranging partnerships that ISWO has been able to assemble and nurture, we agreed to take on the task. Adequate storage space and logistical capacities were immediately retained and a delivery network comprised of: NAN, Ornge, Unilever, Rotary Clubs of Canada; Trucks for Change; CN Rail and Spectra Partnerships were assembled to coordinate the transportation and delivery of the donated product at no cost to ISWO or the proposed recipient: NAN. And this was all accomplished in a matter of a few days, providing an excellent example of what operational excellence, organizational competencies and inspired corporate, governmental and community cooperation can achieve, even in the most trying of circumstances.

At the time of this update, ISWO has now received approximately half of the pallets of the donated product, with the balance of the product scheduled to be delivered this coming Monday. The following photographs, which depict only half of the product we will be receiving and ultimately shipping, will provide you with a good appreciation of the scope of our continuing effort:

Shortly after we received the first deliveries of the donated product, NAN advised our group that they could not accept the pallets of hand sanitizer as the product contained high levels of alcohol. Ornge then directed ISWO to make the hand sanitizers available to designated municipalities and service organizations that formed part of Ornge’s operational network. In compliance with this directive, ISWO has started the distribution of the hand sanitizer to these designated municipalities and service organizations. Photographs of ISWO’s staff loading municipal trucks and ambulances arriving to pick up their designated allotment of hand sanitizer:

The response and acknowledgment that ISWO has received from the various communities and organizations who have now received the donated product has been very positive.

This piece was written by Stephen Kwinter.