LOYAL. LOCAL. COMPLETE.
The world sometimes needs a little bit of help to get it back on its feet, even with the simplest of gestures. April Burns has led with this example showing those around her that a small gesture of kindness can help people in the biggest ways.
Burns used her skill of handcrafting soap, creating the Sage and Prim Community Support Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping those in need.
Her non-profit organization specifically fundraises for human hygienic needs, a basic necessity that not everyone has the luxury to afford.
“My grandma taught me how to make my own soap as a teenager and I really liked it,” she said. “It started out as something just for fun, sometimes I would give it away as gifts, then later on it became a little side hustle and I started going to the farmers market.”
In 2013 the business was officially opened and she went full time in 2017, but Covid changed the game.
“When COVID hit I was like ‘Oh my God everyone please wash your hands,’“ Burns said. “So then I just started giving them away instead of selling it.”
Soon she started seeing a growing need for more than just soap.
“People were like ‘Oh this is awesome but can you maybe get me some dish soap or laundry soap’ and all these other little things,” she said.
From there, Burns says it just “snowballed into action.”
“Even though Covid kind of died off the demand never really did,” she explained.
Profits made from the handmade soap go to buying hygiene products to give to those in need. The organization provides everything from toothpaste and dish soap to tampons and toilet paper, everything that is a basic hygienic necessity.
With a continual need for basic supplies Burns and the non-profit need to continually grow the group. Growth requires volunteers, according to Burns.
“We really need volunteers to run some of our events,” she said. “Even in Paris, as small as it is, different people know what is needed in different places around town.”
With a goal to expand service Burns held her first community council meeting at the Paris Carnegie Library June 27.
The meeting shared the services and plans for the non-profit group going forward.
Burns says they are even looking to add to their board officers, creating an official community council full of people who have professional knowledge in the areas of fundraising, legal compliance and more.
Additional information about future meetings and projects can be found on the group’s Facebook page by searching “Sage & Prim Community Foundation.”
For those interested in more information on volunteering or joining the council contact Burns at april.burns86@gmail.com.