Cleaning Authority CARES

Franchises are diverse: only ¼ of franchises are quick service restaurants. The vast majority provide myriad other services, such as child care, fitness, wellness, or home care services.

One such company is The Cleaning Authority. Recognizing that more than 52 million people across North America experience food insecurity, and of those 16 million are under the age of 18, The Cleaning Authority is partnering with local communities to make a difference.

Since launching Cleaning Authority CARES  in 2016, the franchise system in total has collected over 1 million pounds of food. But, it doesn’t stop there. Local business owners contribute in their own ways.

The Spokane, WA branch of the Cleaning Authority has a long-standing relationship with Family Promise of Spokane, which supports families to end the cycle of homelessness. To assist Family Promise in starting their shelter, the Spokane chapter donated 3,000 pounds of food and hosted a food drive.

The chapter is one of four underwriters of the non-profit’s yearly fundraiser, the Ungala, and provided a year’s worth of cleaning services to be auctioned off, raising $3,000. At their holiday parties, they organize a secret Santa, which provided gifts for more than 75 families, including clothes, toiletries, toys and more.

As part of their ongoing commitment to the organization, the Cleaning Authority hires some of those who have needed the organization’s services. The first person hired from the shelter is still an employee, and has since brought her husband in as an employee. The location is now committed to hiring many others from the shelter.

Franchised businesses give back year round, and this is just one example of how locally owned businesses benefit from the franchise system, while having the flexibility to adapt to their community’s needs. This National Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week, we salute all of the locally owned businesses who support their communities and work to end hunger and homelessness.