Zep Donates Hand Sanitizer, Safety Kits To APS Students

ATLANTA, GA — As thousands of Atlanta Public Schools students returned for in-person learning in mid-February, one local company decided to help the district with safety measures.

Atlanta-based Zep donated enough hand sanitizer for each APS classroom and individual bottles for parents and guardians, as well as 2,000 back-to-school, COVID-19 safety kits, said Gary Gastel, Zep's chief marketing officer. These kits included reusable face masks, a tote bag and hand hygiene educational postcards.

Zep is a producer and distributor of maintenance, cleaning and sanitizing solutions for a variety of industries, including food and beverage, industrial and retail.

"Being based in Atlanta, Zep has crossed paths with Atlanta Public Schools in our 80-plus year history, and more recently, we worked with APS to supply hand sanitizer during the pandemic," Gastel said in an email. "Zep wanted to give back to our community, and we felt there was a natural fit in helping Atlanta Public Schools go back to in-person learning."

Zep also rolled out in-classroom awareness and education tips to select APS schools Feb. 16, including Maynard Jackson High School, Emma Hutchinson and Frank Lebby Stanton elementary schools, and Crawford W. Long and Martin Luther King, Jr. middle schools.

Zep technical experts also gave presentations at these schools to help teach proper hand hygiene, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said helps reduce transmission of respiratory illnesses by up to 21 percent.

“As students head back to school, it is important that we have measures in place to ensure their safety,” said Rachel Sprecher, executive director of partnerships and development at APS, in a news release. “This program is designed to decrease health risks to students and their families and we are grateful that Zep identified this need and is generously providing the community with assistance.”

Zep also distributed hand sanitizer to parents and guardians at Ralph J. Bunche Middle School on Feb. 17, made possible by the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). This program offers free healthy meals and other products to students at various curbside pickup locations and designated school bus routes.

"At Zep, our purpose is to make the planet safer, cleaner, and more productive. Because of this, it is important to help our communities and customers," Gastel said in an email. "Supporting healthy learning environments for students is a priority so it was a perfect match."