Yes, there is a Sam.

Born from a mother's desire for a more meaningful week for her son, sammysoap is one example of the old cliche: necessity is the mother of invention.

Sam was born with an intellectual or developmental disability. He graduated from high school with two options: the family could employ a personal care assistant or there was a place for him in a local sheltered workshop. Sam had already been spending two afternoons each week at a workshop, and his mom had clients who worked at a different workshop in town. The family decided against this option.

PCAs were/are components of readiness programming designed to get clients "ready" for their first job or apartment, but they can't meet transportation or instruct beyond the walls of their client's home. Sam's family believed that post-secondary learning should take place outside the home where authentic social skills can be honed at work and throughout the community. They believed in community support.

It wasn't always perfect and it hasn't always been easy. Sam ballooned to 316 pounds during the first five years of "independence" because Sam loves to eat, people are people, and offering food is a familiar expression of love.

But with the help of many individual heroes and especially Kathmandu Clinic, Billy G's Kirkwood, and the Kirkwood YMCA, Sam is healthier than ever and thriving as a semi-independent member of his community. Sam is his own man, with relationships all over town— a living example of success thanks to the generosity of people like you!

sammysoap is a job creation machine for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities disguised as the world's best soap company. 

We are not a nonprofit, on purpose. Rather we offer customers an extrinsic reason for buying a superior everyday product. We manage to the strengths of all employees to make the best soap anywhere. sammysoap is committed to human health, a clean planet, permanent employment for atypical workers, and wage equality.

If you are in our town and see Sam out and about, please say hello, and thanks for supporting our mission. When you buy a wrapped sammysoap product, you are creating jobs. We are committed to changing the world one bar of soap at a time.

sammysoap is dedicated to human health, a clean planet, and wage equality. We are the change we wish to see in the world, and we invite you to become a change agent, too. All sammysoap products are made in our factory, which is attached to the back of our Kirkwood, Missouri store. The factory is open to the public. Our ingredients and production processes are transparent.

Buy differently. Give differently. Be the change.