Standard Textile Helps Area Youth Wake Up Refreshed and Ready to Excel in School

Standard Textile Co., Inc., a global leader in the healthcare and hospitality textile markets, announces it is giving away 1,000 pillows to help improve the quality of sleep of families living in the West End neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Mariah Jones, a West End resident and dance coach at Q-KIDZ Dance Team proposed the pillow giveaway while working as an intern in Standard Textile’s marketing department. As a dance coach at Q-KIDZ, Jones has worked with West End youth since 2006 and knows first-hand the positive impact a good night’s rest has on a person’s performance, both in school and on the dance floor.

The West End neighborhood of Cincinnati, Ohio has a population of 5,648, according to a City of Cincinnati 2021 Climate Equity Report, with a poverty rate of 48.8%. As an intern at Standard Textile, Jones conducted research which indicated many youth sleep without a pillow or a pillow that Jones states “looks like a pancake.” When Standard Textile’s leadership learned that area youth sleep without a pillow, it hit home.

Standard Textile’s President Alex Heiman states, “When my great grandfather Charles Heiman, settled in Cincinnati over 80 years ago, he couldn’t find employment. As a German immigrant who had been incarcerated in the Dachau concentration camp, he came to Cincinnati to create a new life for his family. So he began sewing pillowcases and sold them to local hospitals and inns. That’s how the company started.”

FC Cincinnati Foundation is helping support Standard Textile’s effort by holding the pillow giveaway at TQL Stadium. Families may pick up a free pillow between the hours of 4-7 pm on Friday, September 29. A pillow cover and pillowcase will be given away with each pillow.

Alex Heiman, who was appointed president earlier this year, says “What remains consistent through four generations of family leadership is our commitment to creating innovative products that help customers and people around the world experience a more comfortable life.”

About Standard Textile
Founded in 1940, Standard Textile has developed a culture of innovation, quality, and service. With more than 80 patents, its products are engineered to deliver durability, longevity, and value. A vertically integrated company, Standard Textile is a leading global provider of total solutions in the institutional textiles and apparel markets. Leveraging textile design, manufacturing, and laundry expertise, and its global infrastructure, this company serves customers in the healthcare, hospitality, interiors, and consumer markets worldwide. For more information visit standardtextile.com.

About Q-KIDZ Dance Team
Q-KIDZ Dance Team provides dance and educational programs to youth in Cincinnati. The organization plays an essential role in the West End community by offering youth a safe and supportive platform for creative expression, communication, and accountability. Q-Kidz Dance Team is a 501(c)(3) organization.

About FC Cincinnati Foundation
FC Cincinnati Foundation is a 501(c)3 that supports transformational change in local area children, building a legacy as the embodiment of a rising Cincinnati. The Foundation seeks to positively impact children in underserved communities through programming centered on character development, physical and mental well-being, and community service.