Ellen Milgrau created the project almost two years ago and has already carried out more than 30 cleanings in the homes of those asking for help, also involving famous people.
Model and digital influencer, Ellen Melo, known as Ellen Milgrau, decided to combine content production with a social cause: people’s mental health. This is how, at the beginning of 2022, he began cleaning the homes of followers who suffer from depression and anxiety.
The process is simple: interested parties must fill out a form with data and information on the health situation and Ellen, with the help of a team of volunteers, selects the services and schedules the cleaning and registration for social networks.
“I believe the person who is in this limbo [sem conseguir dar conta de sua higiene e necessidades] and finds the house clean, goes back to doing basic things, and suddenly can do some shopping at the market and cook in the clean kitchen,” he explains his purpose in an interview with Earth.
The result is usually approved. “I always ask if [a pessoa ajudada] manages to keep the house clean. They say yes. Then they always say, ‘I made some food’.”
Celebrity collaboration
In these almost two years of activity the project has grown. The episodes previously available only on TikTok are now also on YouTube, in an extended version, at the request of the public curious to learn more about people’s stories.
Another change: sponsorship. Given the repercussions of the initiative, the brands have become closer and today provide annual support to the “Faxina MilGrau” project.
The third novelty, which could give further impetus to the project, is the collaboration of celebrities. Ellen created a sort of spin-off within the channel to host artists’ participation in “Faxina Milgrau Celeb”.
“Most are my friends, acquaintances. For example, I started with Karol Conká, who is a super friend of mine. But some famous people came to talk to me and wanted to be part of it, it was the case of Enzo Celulari and Fernanda Lima,” he says. These are the factors taken into consideration when choosing a participation: Ellen’s admiration for the celebrity and her interest in collaborating.
In addition to the celebrities in the spin-off version, the episodes feature a small team of three volunteers who get their hands dirty: Jady Carvalho, content creator on TikTok; Rodrigo Lorenzzo, a lawyer by training who after being involved in the project began working as an organizer; and Nicoli Clavero, also a friend of Ellen.
“He loves washing dishes and cleaning the sink,” says the interviewee, noting that everyone has their own preferences when it comes to cleaning. Her name is “stove saver”. “You know that very crusty stove? It works,” she assures.
Own experience
Part of Ellen’s inspiration for launching the project was her experience with depression in her twenties. The international model recalls that about 10 years ago, when she lived in Europe, she found herself without the strength to eat or wash herself, for example, in deep suffering. Before then, her career was on the rise: she lived in Milan, Italy, and worked for big brands like Valentino.
With the illness, his first help came from friends who paid for a psychiatric consultation so he could begin treatment. “Since then I started taking care of myself because people don’t have the strength to lift it themselves. It’s a very heavy burden that you can’t bear, your head blocks you,” he says.
Today he lives well, but he doesn’t hide that the current moment has also been difficult. “Weeks ago I was really sick, I went to clean crying. I was distressed, anxious, I am a person who has many fears. (…) The difference is that I have a support network, my friends.”
Fear and anxiety can help you. see how
From personal experience, Ellen knows that cleanliness alone cannot restore anyone’s life. But it’s a start.
Whenever there is an opportunity, it recommends health professionals, such as psychologists and psychiatrists, to the people it cares for. These are experts who put themselves in the shoes of volunteers to collaborate on the initiative.
Abused and critical people
While the fallout from Faxina Milgrau is mostly positive, Ellen still faces criticism regarding the project. According to him this happens because “especially the elderly do not understand” the disease.
He points out that decades ago we didn’t talk about mental health like we do today, that the problem has become a recognized and widely addressed issue. Therefore, he believes that older generations do not understand how serious it is.
“Sometimes we do a big action, some gentlemen come and say: ‘he’s lazy’.” It is known that he is not.
Another misfortune she and her volunteers face are scams and people trying to take advantage of the work. This is the case for participants who make requests during cleaning, treating cleaning as a service, not as a help.
Luckily I’m in the minority. The demand for people needing help is great, greater than the structure available to help. Therefore, the project remains limited to São Paulo, but we want to expand it to other cities in Brazil.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
