Building a Better Benin

As we reflect on the year to come, we are reminded how the impact of a small gesture can ripple out into unexpected places.  

Here’s an example: Nearly 15 years ago, a client of our Hermosa Beach store asked to place a donation box at our retail counter. This client, a neonatal nurse, was collecting contributions for a group called “Build A Better Benin”. Our customer knew firsthand how simple interventions could improve healthcare and education outcomes in Benin, West Africa.

Of course we agreed to her request, and we made an additional offer — whatever she raised in the store, we’d match as an extra contribution. When the donations were tallied up a month later, it turned out this client had raised enough money (between private donors and Door to Cleaners) to build a new solar well. A local clinic facility couldn’t function without clean water, and fetching that water was dangerous and time consuming. The truth is that this sum wasn’t large in the context of expenses in the US, but to a village in Benin the costs were very significant.

Once the well was built in Benin, however, the project immediately paid dividends. Not only did the well improve medical care for dozens of families, but it supplied enough water for the entire village to use. Our client visited this village years after the work of Build a Better Benin was complete and met children who were now grown. The childrens’ health and economic opportunities grew directly from efforts to build a strong community, centered around this life-giving well.

We can’t begin to guess what 2026 has in store. But we remain committed to approaching each new day with the same spirit of kindness and community that Door to Door has embraced for nearly 37 years. If you have thoughts on how we can put that spirit to use, please get in touch or visit one of our 10 locations.