Kimberly-Clark is doing its part to make life a little less stressful during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

As the manufacturer of some of the world’s most beloved tissue brands, including Cottonelle®, Scott®, Kleenex®, Andrex®, Neve® and Baby Soft®, we have accelerated production to meet the surge in demand around the world.

“We want to assure consumers that we are doing our best to ensure a steady supply of product,” affirmed Arist Mastorides, President of Kimberly-Clark North America Family Care. “Our teams are working really hard, and in close partnership with retailers, so that we can close the gap.”

In addition, our Cottonelle® and Andrex® brands are engaging consumers around the world in a new campaign of kindness and generosity as it encourages people to share toilet paper instead of stockpiling it.

"Instead of stockpiling, let's stock up on generosity. We believe our consumers have no shortage of kindness, so we trust they will #ShareASquare and help us on this mission," added Mastorides.

In response to the global health crisis, Kimberly-Clark and its trusted global brands have lent their support to help support COVID-19 response and relief efforts around the world.

“Our response to this crisis thus far, and going forward, is guided by our value of caring – for our people and their families, our consumers, and importantly, for those most in need right now,” said Mike Hsu, Chairman and CEO, Kimberly-Clark.

Kimberly-Clark and the Kimberly-Clark Foundation have committed to donations totaling more than $8 million to assist with COVID-19 response and recovery efforts around the world.

“Through these donations, we can help support those working on the front lines of this global health crisis,” said Jenny Lewis, Vice President, Kimberly-Clark Foundation.

To help those most threatened by the virus, the Kimberly-Clark Foundation has donated $2.5 million to UNICEF and its programs focused on preventing the spread of the virus, including providing hygiene and medical kits to schools and health facilities, as well as efforts to increase children’s access to health, education and social services during the pandemic.

In addition, the Foundation will donate $2.5 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the American Red Cross, a global humanitarian network of nearly 14 million volunteers, to deliver its lifesaving mission to help prevent the spread of this disease, alleviate human suffering through basic humanitarian aid, and deliver lifesaving health messages amidst this global pandemic.

To further support these efforts, Kimberly-Clark’s global brands have stepped up with cash and product donations to COVID-19 relief efforts, including:

• Cottonelle^® will donate one million rolls of Cottonelle as part of its #ShareASquare program and $1 million to the United Way Worldwide COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund;
• Cottonelle^® and Kleenex^® in Canada have committed $100,000 to United Way Centraide Canada's COVID-19 Fund;
• Huggies^® will donate five million diapers to the National Diaper Bank Network, and $1 million to United Way Worldwide COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund;
• Scott^® Brand is donating $500,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of America to help 278 clubs stay open to provide emergency childcare to families of essential workers, serving up to 28,000 kids daily;
• Andrex^® will donate 1 million toilet rolls to its charity partner, In Kind Direct, as part of its #ShareASquare campaign, and will also incentivize consumers to share their acts of kindness and will donate £1, up to £100,000, for each use of the hashtag #ShareASquare;
• U by Kotex^® announced it will donate an additional 1 million period products to the Alliance for Period Supplies to help women experiencing financial hardship obtain period supplies;
• Kimberly-Clark Professional will donate $500,000 to ISSA, the leading trade association for the cleaning industry worldwide, to fund scholarships for approximately 10,000 contract cleaners to become certified in advanced microbial hygiene cleaning standards administered by the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC);
•  Across Latin America, the Huggies^®, Scott^® Duramax, Kotex^®, Plenitud^® and Intimus^® are donating products to nearly 700,000 people through local NGOs including S.O.S Village Rio Bonito and Amparo Maternal in Brazil, and through food banks in Argentina, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama and Puerto Rico.
• Kimberly-Clark Argentina and Kotex^® are partnering with the Red Cross to donate more than 500,000 products for hygiene kits for healthcare professionals, as well as those in the country’s most vulnerable communities.
• Across EMEA, our brands are donating product to initiatives across the region, including 100,000 packages of Kotex^® product to healthcare workers in Turkey as well as Huggies and Kotex products to the Ministry of Health in Nigeria;
• In Australia, our Kleenex^® brand has partnered with Virgin Australia to help vulnerable Australians in need with access to essential products by matching the airline’s donation of toilet rolls; and
• Depend^® and Kotex® teams in China responded to the needs of healthcare workers in Wuhan with 900+ cases of Kotex feminine pants and 1,200 cases of Depend.

From the medical field to the production lines, workers were put in a tight spot when schools closed to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. And for families with two working parents in essential jobs, many needed to locate quality childcare, and fast.

Boys & Girls Clubs across the country came to the rescue, keeping Clubs open to specifically look after the children of healthcare workers, first responders and other critical personnel.

Kimberly-Clark’s Scott® Brand stepped up, too, donating $500,000 to help Boys & Girls Clubs of America offer this service in nearly 300 Clubs nationwide, serving up to 28,000 children of frontline workers daily.

“Essential workers continue to show courage and resilience,” said Arist Mastorides, Family Care President of Kimberly-Clark North America. “There is no better way to show the gratitude Kimberly-Clark and Scott Brand have for today's heroes than to provide the support they need to best care for their families during this challenging time.”

The Clubs provide fun activities, help with homework and emotional support for children whose parents may be under exceptional stress.

“Boys & Girls Clubs of America is committed to doing whatever it takes to support America's youth and their families as they navigate through the COVID-19 crisis," said Julie Teer, Chief Development & Public Affairs Officer, Boys & Girls Clubs of America. "We are so thankful to the Scott Brand and Kimberly-Clark for standing together with us."

Scott® Brand is encouraging social media users to thank essential workers on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram by using the hashtag #ThankAHero, and nominating others to do the same.

Parents and caregivers of NICU babies are facing escalating mental health challenges due to virus infection fears, additional financial concerns, limitations on when they can visit their baby in the NICU, and being socially isolated from their support system of family and friends.

Which is why Hand to Hold, a nonprofit organization for NICU families, recently the launched virtual support groups for NICU families to address this challenge. Kimberly-Clark’s Huggies® brand is serving as the national sponsor of the new program, modeled on Hand to Hold’s in-person and in-hospital support groups.

“Our first ever virtual support group last week welcomed parents from across the country, and for most, it was the first time they’d been able to interact with other NICU families or any type of peer support,” said Kelli Kelley, NICU parent and founder/CEO of Hand to Hold. “It was encouraging to see that our online groups could provide NICU families with a virtual ‘hand to hold’ and emotional support during the COVID-19 crisis.”

The virtual services are available free of charge to all families and caregivers of NICU babies and available via live Zoom conference calls, led by certified peer support specialists.

The program provides a safe, caring space for parents to share personal experiences and feelings, discuss coping strategies, and find comfort and support during the COVID-19 crisis and the recovery that follows.

Hand to Hold will offer multiple groups each week in English and Spanish, and parents can register for groups on the organization’s website, where dates and times are listed. Families and caregivers can also access podcasts, including new episodes to address the emotional and mental health challenges associated with COVID-19.

“We are honored to partner with Hand to Hold as they provide this lifeline of virtual care for parents and nurses, especially as their access to support may be limited during the current health crisis,” said Rebecca Dunphey, President of Baby and Childcare, Kimberly-Clark North America, “We have Huggies hospital partners and NICUs top of mind right now, and ensuring they have Huggies products and services, like these virtual support groups, available to help care for their tiniest patients is a priority and privilege.”

About 25 percent of U.S women don’t have the means to buy period supplies, a statistic that prompted U by Kotex® to become the founding partner of the nonprofit Alliance for Period Supplies in 2018.

As this need rises dramatically during the coronavirus pandemic, Kimberly-Clark’s U by Kotex® brand donated 1 million menstrual pads and panty liners to the Alliance for Period Supplies. This donation is in addition to its annual commitment.

“As we continue to fight against period poverty, we understand the impact of the COVID-19 health crisis means more women will struggle to afford needed supplies,” said Deniz Gurler, Senior Brand Manager for U by Kotex. “We are increasing our donations to ensure women everywhere have period products as they take care of their families and themselves.”

Hoarding, job losses and shelter-in-place orders have forced more individuals to turn to nonprofits for essential goods, explained Samantha Bell, Program Director at the Alliance for Period Supplies.

For example, one affiliate distributed 35,000 period products two weeks ago, an inventory that previously lasted three months, she added.

“We are thrilled that U by Kotex®, our amazing founding sponsor, is stepping up to help during this crisis,” Bell said. “Their support of our programs means everything.” U by Kotex has donated more than 24 million period products to the Alliance for Period Supplies over the past two years and the charity will distribute this latest donation to areas of greatest need nationwide via its partner agencies.

To learn more or give, visit www.allianceforperiodsupplies.org

One in three U.S. families couldn’t afford to buy enough diapers for their children before the coronavirus pandemic hit. Now, more parents than ever are seeking support from diaper banks around the country.

To help families who are struggling, Kimberly-Clark’s Huggies® brand is donating 5 million diapers to the National Diaper Bank Network (NDBN) and $1 million to the United Way Worldwide COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund for programs in the U.S. Huggies has contributed 250 million diapers to NDBN since 2011.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionally impacting children and families who lack access to clean diapers and other basic necessities,” said Joanne Goldblum, CEO of NDBN. “As in past disasters and emergency situations, NDBN is grateful to our founding sponsor Huggies and Kimberly-Clark for their support and help to mobilize the delivery of diapers and other essentials that babies and families need to thrive.”

Huggies $1 million gift to the United Way Worldwide COVID-19 Community Response and Recovery Fund will support financial and social services for the most vulnerable U.S. populations.

“Our commitment to the National Diaper Bank Network and United Way will help ensure that families and communities get the products they urgently need to help babies thrive,” affirmed Rebecca Dunphey, Baby and Childcare President of Kimberly-Clark North America.

Huggies also announced a partnership with non-profit organization, Hand to Hold, to provide online peer support groups to NICU parents and nurses. The new program will help ensure NICU caregivers have vital connection and resources to cope with the new stresses related to COVID-19, in addition to caring for a premature or medically fragile baby.