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Local Maid Service Helps Disabled Heroes

Local Fire, Police and US Military Benefit Through Non-Profit Organization

(Fort Collins, CO)   06/28/10 –  Giving honor to veterans and service members can

happen every day of the year if you really put your mind to it.  While many people enjoy long

weekends and holidays like Memorial Day, Independence Day, or Veteran’s Day, one company

decided that every day was worth giving honor, and decided to do something about it.

All Star Cleaning Services, a local maid service provider serving the Fort Collins,

Loveland, Windsor, and surrounding areas is dedicated to serving local heroes all year long by

providing free house cleaning services through Cleaning for Heroes.  Cleaning for Heroes is a

non-profit organization that connects maid services across the nation to deserving individuals

who have been injured or disabled in the line of duty.   Cleaning for Heroes is dedicated to

providing house cleaning services, at no cost, to disabled and elderly members of the United

States military.

Thousands of soldiers who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan are returning to civilian

life with moderate to severe physical injuries. Disabling injuries such as loss of limbs, head

trauma and debilitating injuries to arms and legs make it difficult for these men and women to

meet the demands of everyday life such as cleaning and maintaining their homes. There are

hundreds of thousands of other veterans from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War

and the Gulf War who also have disabling injuries.

Cleaning for Heroes was founded in 2010 by Anne M. Aldridge, owner of Ocean State

House Cleaning of Rhode Island.  Earlier this year, Anne went searching for a non-profit

organization that was able to link up cleaning services like hers with disabled veterans that

needed cleaning services but were unable to afford them.   She was unable to find any such

organization dedicated to this cause.  Knowing that there was a need for such services,

she founded a non-profit organization that would be able to fill this need and Cleaning for

Heroes was born.

Anne is no stranger to the sacrifices of veterans.  She is the daughter of a Vietnam-era

Navy veteran, the granddaughter of a World War II veteran, and the great-granddaughter of a

World War I veteran.

Veterans’ organizations nationwide are trying hard to meet the needs of disabled

veterans, but until Cleaning for Heroes, there was no organization dedicated to meeting the

needs of this very deserving group of men and women by providing much needed house

cleaning help. For some elderly veterans, this household help could be the difference between

whether they get to stay in their own home or be forced into a retirement home.

For other veterans, it could mean the difference between staying at home after surgery

or returning to a hospital because they were unable to maintain a sanitary environment in

which to heal.  This can save taxpayers a significant amount of money in the long run through

the prevention of unnecessary admissions that would drive up government health care costs.

All Star Cleaning Services was one of the first companies to step forward and offer their

help for veterans in the state of Colorado.  The network of Cleaning for Heroes providers is

growing quickly, spanning the United States and even reaching into Canada.

Laura Smith, owner of All Star Cleaning Services explains, “Since founding All Star

Cleaning Services in early 2006 I have always looked for ways to give back to the community

that supports us. When I heard about the Cleaning for Heroes program it just seemed like a

great fit for us. My family has personally supported similar causes for many years, and now my

company has the opportunity to do the same. We are very honored to be a part of this

wonderful program!”

All Star Cleaning Services has joined the ranks of professional residential maid services

located nationwide that have elected to say “thank you” to deserving heroes for their sacrifices

while protecting and serving our community and nation.   All Star Cleaning Services

demonstrates to their community they are a compassionate and socially responsible business

by agreeing to provide their professional services at no charge for at least two veterans each

month.

All Star Cleaning Services is a locally-grown green maid service specializing in Mother’s

Helper services using only all-natural safe and healthy products and practices.  They are a

member of the Association of Residential Cleaning Services International (ARCSI).  You may

learn more about All Star Cleaning Service by visiting their website at

www.cleaningallstars.com.

All Star Cleaning Services and Cleaning for Heroes is committed to promoting a healthy,

clean home environment for our disabled or elderly community heroes and their families.

“Heroes come in many forms.” says Torrey Shannon, the wife of SSG John Daniel

Shannon, a combat-injured veteran who was featured in the Pulitzer Prize stories published by

The Washington Post in 2007.   Shannon is a former maid service owner who now serves as the

National Spokesperson for Cleaning for Heroes.  She adds, “You don’t have to be a combat

veteran to be a hero.  I consider those who give their time, money, or concern to this program

as everyday heroes.”

Based on the same concept that our nation’s heroes volunteered to serve their country

and communities, Cleaning for Heroes is an all-volunteer effort that brings donors, providers

and recipients together.  Cleaning for Heroes relies on volunteers and donors who can

contribute their time, money or services to the needs of their applicants.  If you would like

more information on how you can improve the lives of heroes in your community, or would like

to apply for assistance, please visit their website at www.cleaningforheroes.org or call (401)

732-7856.

I can relate, can you? If this video is the story of YOUR life too, give me a call and ask about our Mother’s Helper services. You wil be SO glad you did

Career Ambitions: Geology is the greatest! Someday I hope I can better the world with advancements in technology that not only are more efficient, but also more environmentally friendly. We only have one planet Earth !

Why she wanted to be an ALL STAR: Being a geologist I have made planet Earth not only where I keep all my stuff, but also my source of livelihood. I take the condition of the environment personally and I am proud to work for an all natural cleaning service. I love to be able to break down the myth that one has to choose between being environmentally friendly or effective. I have found that All Stars Cleaning regiment and products are not only is the most successful clean, but also clean you can feel fundamentally good about.

Favorite part of the job: My most favorite part of the job knowing that I can be proud of what I do. Knowing that the products we use are effective and do not harm children, pets, or anyone for that matter is something that is really important to me. Believing in yourself and endorsing your values on a regular basis without compromise is the greatest reward I can imagine. I also love meeting everyone’s pets, I love animals!

Something you may not know about Joyia: I hate sushi!

Everybody loves a stud with a scrub brush!

–Larry

(Not talking about himself here, but still hilarious!)

Before becoming an ALL STAR: I was in the security field. Did that for about a year. Before that I was doing HVACconstruction as well as tile installation.

Career Ambitions: I always knew I wanted to be in law enforcement but did not have the available funds for schooling. So my wife and I decided that I would make a career in the Air Force. I am now enrolled waiting to be shipped out for training.

Why he wanted to be an ALL STAR: I was working 3-11 shifts doing security so I rarely got to see my wife or family and friends. After almost a year of that I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed to be able to see my wife and have some human interaction again, especially since I will be shipped out for the Air Force soon. I found All Star Cleaning online and it provided the opportunity to basically get my life back in order. I applied and got the job. It has been one of the greatest decisions of my life. I work with awesome co-workers everyday, have one of the best bosses you could have, and I get to see my family and friends again.

Favorite part of the job: I would say my favorite part of the job is being able to work with other people and meeting new people at the houses we clean. It is always a joy to see how happy people become after we clean their house, it makes my job worthwhile.

Something you may not know about Larry: I was born and raised in Binghamton, NY. I moved to Colorado after I graduated high school in 2002. I have been here ever since and I absolutely love Colorado.

Career Ambitions: Adella plans to go back to school to become an RN. Eventually she also plans to open her home up to do foster care for special needs infants.

Why she wanted to be an ALL STAR: While tending to her home healthcare clients she began to realize how neglected their homes can become, so since she has previous cleaning experience she decided to find a green cleaning company and start making a difference! (We’re glad you found us Adella!)

Favorite part of the job: Adella’s favorite part of the job is seeing the difference in people’s homes. To go into someone’s home and clean the whole house for them so they can come home to relax – it is the best feeling!

Something you may not know about Adella: Adella has lived in 4 states and 10 cities and it is not because of the military.

This is why we are proud to be Fort Collins’ original 100% Natural Green Cleaning Service. Learn more about our products HERE.

Here is an interesting article from Re-Nest – Clean Your Bathtub with a Grapefruit and Some Salt.

I have often used lemon juice in my homemade cleaning products, but this is an interesting use for produce that I don’t think I would have thought of.

See the full article with recipe HERE.

The discussion in the comments is interesting too – which is the lesser of the two evils for the eco-friendly – to “waste” food to clean your home, or to use manufactured products (a.k.a chemicals?)

Enjoy!

Before becoming an ALL STAR: I worked a lot of customer service jobs, Sam’s Club being the most recent. I held many positions at Sam’s including cashier, grocery department, clothing, and hardlines.

Career Ambitions: One day I would like to own my own cleaning company!

Why she wanted to be an ALL STAR: I wanted to be an All Star because I love to clean and I love getting to know people.

Favorite part of the job: My favorite part of the job is getting to do the Cleaning for a Reasons. It makes me feel so good being able to help people out who really need it.

Something you may not know about Christine: My favorite thing is cleaning the most absolutely dirtiest houses, because it is so awesome to see how clean it can look in the end!

Let the machine do your dirty work!

There are many things around the house that never get cleaned- either because we forget about them or they’re just a real pain-in-the-neck! But what if we had some kind of automatic cleaningmachine to do it for us?

1. Shower Caddy

These necessary evils are magnets for soap scum, and impossible to clean in between all those wires! Toss it in the dishwasher and watch those soap-scum stalactites disappear! (Works for soap dishes too!)

2. Dish Drain

Funny how the tools we use to clean the dishes never get cleaned themselves! Dish drains (particularly the trays underneath them) are spotless after a run through the cycle.

3. Toothbrush

Both old-fashioned toothbrushes as well as the heads for electric toothbrushes will be free of those mouth-germs after a trip through “Pots and Pans!”

4. Stove Drip Pans

These can get permanently charred after only a few meals! Run drip pans from electric stoves and grates from gas stoves once a week to keep them like new!

5. Scrub Brushes

Much like the dish drain, the brushes we use to clean our dishes, scrub our potatoes, or scour our showers are never cleaned themselves! Keep them germ-free by cleaning them often.