Manhattan School to Receive H1N1 Flu Prevention Supplies – Made by Prisoners Working for a Cleaner Tomorrow

• World Vision and MPACT to Distribute Soap and Hand Sanitizer to Students
• American Red Cross of Greater New York to Speak to Students on Flu Prevention

New York, Nov. 17, 2009—

WHAT:
World Vision’s Bronx Storehouse and Mission to Provide a Cleaner Tomorrow (MPACT), will distribute over 400 packets of soap and hand sanitizer to students at a school assembly. Students will learn from a spokesperson for the American Red Cross of Greater New York how the H1N1 virus is transmitted and how best to prevent it.

WHEN:
8:00-10:00 am, Wednesday, November 18, 2009

WHERE:
Manhattan Christian Academy
401 W 205th St.
New York, NY 10034

BACKGROUND:
Through World Vision’s partner, MPACT, 266 students will each receive nine bars of MPACT soap, produced by prison inmates in North Carolina through Correction Enterprises. Students will also receive a travel-size bottle of hand sanitizer.

“With H1N1 spreading so rapidly today, especially in schools, our goal is to alert as many students as possible that they can stay healthy and avoid the virus with a few simple steps, like washing their hands regularly and not touching their eyes, noses or mouths,” said Klay Maynard, President and co-founder of MPACT.

What’s also special about the MPACT soap is its source: prison inmates. “By teaching the inmates a valuable, marketable work skill and the personal responsibility that comes with it, our other goal is to increase their likelihood of success when they’re released,” added Maynard.

About MPACT
Established in 2006 and based in Hillsboro, Ohio, MPACT’s mission is to provide a cleaner tomorrow for those in need around the world. MPACT partners with Correction Enterprises (http://www.correctionenterprises.com/), World Vision and others to manufacture and distribute hygiene products, ensuring that from production to use in the field, deadly diseases are prevented, lives are improved and dignity is restored. To learn more, visit http://www.missionpact.org/

World Vision is a Christian relief and development organization dedicated to helping children and their communities worldwide reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty. We serve the world’s poor --regardless of a person’s religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. For more information, please visit www.worldvision.org/press.