One of the silver linings of challenging times is seeing who will step up to the plate in the community to help others. In the case of Spirit of York, local leadership is an initiative that they’re tackling head-on amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier this week, the Toronto-based spirits company announced that they would be transforming their distillery into a dedicated production facility for hand sanitizer in order to address the shortage of supplies in the city.

By using their own alcohol and the guidelines set by the World Health Organization, the sanitizer will be offered at the distillery starting March 19th with all proceeds going to local food banks.

“As a company, we have always maintained a focus on the spirit of community and giving back,” says Gerry Guitor, founder of Spirit of York. “Now that we are in our greatest hour of need, we have been working hard to find new ways to give back. Using our facilities to produce hand sanitizer seemed like a perfect way to support the public while also giving back to more vulnerable communities.”

While hand sanitizers are available for $2.95 (with a limit of two per customer), the business has maintained that they will be of no charge for those who are unable to afford them or are over the age of 65.