“One hundred and six shipments is one thing, but when you think about how many people are impacted by them, that’s what it’s really about,” explained FOW-USA President Ann Favreau. “These shipments change lives.”

Ann loves reading the letters of thanks that pour in. The stories of the lives they’ve touched keep her and the other FOW-USA volunteers going:

• A nine-year-old girl in Nepal can now attend school.

• Children in Uganda, where congenital abnormalities of imperforate anus are on the rise, received supplies to meet their basic hygiene needs.

• Adults in many developing countries were able to return to work and participate in social situations.

FOW-USA not only donates supplies, but also provides educational materials with each shipment to support recipients, caregivers, and health care providers in using the products. Some physicians in underdeveloped countries can perform ostomy surgery, but are not trained in aftercare, such as how to use the supplies and keep the skin around the stoma healthy.

Hollister Incorporated is proud to be one of the manufacturers that participates in the FOW-USA program. “They understand our mission because it’s similar to theirs,” says Ann. “Making sure their product goes to those in need, and doesn’t end up in a landfill is just as important to Hollister as it is to us.”