In our efforts to be responsible partners and good stewards, we take reducing waste very seriously. Still, each year Draper, like many companies, ends up with unused inventory. This could be due to returns, discontinued product, scrap, or various other reasons. We look for ways to recycle and reuse as much as possible. That job is made easier and also more meaningful for us thanks to our partnership with World Vision.
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. Their Corporate Engagement team partners with companies in a number of ways, one of the primary ways being through product donations. They convert excess inventory, first-quality returns, and discontinued products and deliver them to communities in need throughout the United States and around the world. Donated products include clothing, school supplies, toys, home goods, building materials, and other essential products that help children, families, and communities thrive.
In particular, Draper donates discontinued or surplus shade fabric. And the ways that surplus fabric has been used are varied and amazing.
In 2023, our donated cotton fabric was used to create window coverings at the Tchesa Health Clinic in Malawi. The clinic provides essential healthcare 24 hours a day for people who can’t get to other facilities because they are too far and/or too difficult to reach.
Briana Caffee, Corporate Engagement Manager of World Vision U.S., said this: “Health is one of World Vision’s core sectors of work. Products like Draper shade fabric help create safe, functional spaces where care can be delivered.”
Another interesting use of donated shade fabric involves agriculture. Draper shade and screening fabrics have been used to provide pest protection for crops.
Caffee says Draper fabrics have made their way to several countries, including Malawi, Zambia, Eswatini, El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Rwanda. In all, World Vision works in 3,800 communities across the U.S. and in nearly 100 countries.
Working with organizations like World Vision not only helps Draper reduce inventory and cut waste; it helps us have a greater impact in our efforts to be a good citizen and strong partner.
If your company is interested in joining World Vision’s mission through product donations or other business solutions, visit their corporate partnerships website to learn more.
Learn more about our core values and history, click here.
