SERVICE — An Apollo Cleaning and Restoration vehicle sat parked outside of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Steubenville. -- Christopher Dacanay

STEUBENVILLE — Officials with Apollo Cleaning and Restoration hope that one small act of kindness can make a big difference in keeping community members warm during this winter.

At noon on Thursday, employees of the Wintersville-based cleaning service will embark from the United Way of Jefferson County office — 511 N. Fourth St., Steubenville — to distribute hats and gloves in public areas so those in need can easily access them. The effort is entitled Apollo’s Keeping our Community Warm initiative.

“In the spirit of giving back to our community, our team will be hanging bags of hats and gloves throughout the downtown Steubenville area to ensure that those in need can stay warm during the colder months,” said Lexus Ficca, Apollo’s social media and graphic design manager. “We recognize that winter can be particularly difficult for some members of our community, and we hope that this small act can make a positive impact.”

Apollo has been undertaking this initiative for the past six years, Ficca said. It’s yet another effort by the company that’s “heavily involved in our community alongside numerous organizations to help grow our local area and strengthen our community.”

“This initiative is part of our ongoing commitment to supporting and uplifting those around us,” she said. “We hope that this effort will make the winter season a little more bearable for those facing challenges. If you would like more information about this initiative or wish to support it in any way, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to work with other local organizations to expand this effort.”

Ficca said that individuals need not donate to Apollo’s initiative, but she encouraged all to “consider reaching out to local organizations to find the needs of our locals during this time.”

Since its founding in 2001, Apollo has collaborated with other nonprofits and “always vowed to be a community steward,” said CEO and President Anthony Mougianis.

“You win with people, and you win when you help others that could never pay you back,” he said. “This time of the year is especially important with the cold temperatures, where so many in our area are homeless and need ways to stay warm safe and fed. I am fortunate to have a team that embraces our philosophies and are compelled to help as many less fortunate (as possible.)”