Tornado Industries, a manufacturer of professional cleaning tools and equipment, is urging facility managers, jan/san industry members and others to nominate an "unsung hero" in the professional cleaning industry — someone that has gone beyond the call of duty in helping others.
 
According to Jolynn Kennedy, Tornado marketing director, those who can be nominated include janitors, in-house cleaning workers, building engineers, housekeepers, cleaning contractors, "literally anyone involved in maintaining or cleaning facilities."
 
This can include those that have or are now performing voluntary community service work; helping raise funds for a colleague, cause or neighbor in distress; and, as recently occurred in California, helping out when no one else was available.
 
In November 2013, the state of California suspended the license of a senior center in the state, effectively shutting it down. The entire staff walked off the job leaving 19 abandoned seniors, many of them quite ill, to care for themselves.
 
Miguel Alvarez, the center's janitor, took over and began caring for the seniors helping them with bathing, feeding, changing diapers and other necessities for several days.
 
While he took on these duties voluntarily with no fanfare or desire for attention, media outlets soon found out about his actions and news organizations from California to England reported on it.
 
"This is the type of person we want to honor," says Kennedy. "However, this situation was different. What usually happens is no one ever finds out about these unsung heroes, and we want to do our part and honor these people."
 
To nominate an unsung hero, click here.