What began as a practical question about storage space and lifecycle limits quickly became something much bigger. 

Across 72 laundry service locations, Shared Health and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) were managing a growing surplus of hospital-grade PPE and reusable healthcare textiles, including gowns, scrubs, and linens. System changes, such as new RFID tracking and updated infection prevention practices, meant much of the inventory had not been used in over a year, and some would never be used again. Repurposing it would come at a cost, while disposing of it would create unnecessary waste. 

Instead, Shared Health chose a third option: to donate it, ensuring the supplies could support patient care rather than ending up in landfill. 

Led by Environmental Sustainability Coordinator Lea Coté and sparked by an idea from Patrick Sabourin, Director of Regional Healthcare Linen Services for WRHA, the team had just two weeks to find a partner capable of accepting an extraordinarily large donation and delivering it where it was needed most. Collaboration is a catalyst for meaningful change, and this partnership proved just that, showing how teamwork between departments can turn a logistical challenge into a global impact. Thanks to an existing relationship, Hope and Healing International was able to move quickly, coordinating a shipment destined for hospitals in Cameroon. 

The scale of what followed was remarkable. In total, Shared Health filled an entire shipping container with more than 67,000 pieces of hospital-grade PPE and linens. The donation included approximately 16,500 reusable isolation gowns, 7,700 technical gowns, nearly 30,000 scrubs, 1,200 thermal blankets, and thousands of hospital bedspreads and sheets, all professionally laundered, sanitized, and quality-checked. 

“These weren’t old or unusable items,” Lea emphasized. “They were care-ready supplies made surplus by updated tracking and infection prevention practices.” 

After months of delays at the Port of Douala, the container was finally cleared and distributed through Hope and Healing International’s local partner, Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services (CBCHS), the second-largest healthcare provider in the country. The supplies are now in active use across multiple hospitals, beginning with Baptist Hospital Mutengene. 

For healthcare workers on the receiving end, the impact was immediate and deeply felt. 

“We knew what was inside that container,” shared one logistics coordinator. “We weren’t just waiting for bedsheets; we were waiting for relief.” 

Another reflected on seeing the shipment for the first time: “When I saw the first bundle, I felt something lift inside me. I knew immediately — this was dignity wrapped in fabric.” 

Nursing leaders described the practical difference the donation has made, from cleaner wards and reduced infection risks to improved patient comfort and renewed staff morale. In the children’s ward, one nurse put it simply: “They are not just giving sheets. They are giving comfort, safety, and respect.” 

By choosing donation over disposal, Shared Health transformed surplus into support, reducing waste at home while strengthening patient care abroad. It’s a powerful reminder that sustainability isn’t only about what we save, but about who we help when we choose to act.