Most of the time, hygiene kits are one of those things that we make on the fly because we’ve accumulated enough small items to put them together. But last year, as I toyed with the concept of putting different items in a bag and distributing it, I ran across a group called 3bagsin2days. This is their specialty! After spending some time with these girls in Arkansas, I fell in love with the idea. But before we begin…
An Important Note: When I would give my bags away, I would find that people told me they “only needed the socks,” or they “only need the toothpaste”. So I’ve learned that as wise stewards of the items that are purchased or collected for distribution, it’s important to ask everybody what they need. Too often we get into this assumptive routine of ”here, you need this,” or “here, I want to give this to you” that robs people of the dignity of knowing what is best for themselves. (Not only that, but this is hygiene stuff. It can be kind of insulting.) So I ask…
And asking has never slowed me down! We’ve given away more than 500 kits so far this year and 30 of them just last night. Sometimes it’s fun to just arrive with the contents, give everyone a bag, and then talk with them about what they need.
With this in mind, these are the types of things that we might put in a kit:
- Socks (white crew)
- New Underwear (all sizes, mens/womens)
- Bottle of Water w/ flavor packet
- Bar of Soap w/ Washcloth
- Hand Sanitizer
- Lotion
- Travel Size Wet Wipes
- Tissues
- Nail file/clippers
- Hair Comb
- Razors (mens/womens, double blade)
- Shaving Cream
- Toothbrush/toothpaste/floss
- Travel Size Listerine Mouth Wash
- Deodorant (mens/womens)
- Chap-Stick
- Hair Ties (womens kits)
- Tampons & Pads (womens kits)
- Travel Size shampoo/conditioner
- Hand Warmers/Foot Warmers/Gloves (winter)
- Sun Screen (summer)
- Bug Spray
- Rain Poncho
- Matches
- Note Pad & Pen (write a note that says LOVE all over it)
- Sharpie Marker
- Stamped Postcard or Envelope
- Cough Drops
- Q Tips
- First Aide Kit/Band-aides
- Sewing Kit
- Travel Size Laundry Detergent
- Trial Size Foot Powder
- Trial Size Motrin or Aspirin
- Small Roll of Duct Tape/zip ties
- Industrial Garbage Bag (folded up really small)
- Super Glue (for the things you can’t think of)
Of course, all of this will depend on your budget or your supply of donations. We’ve never given away all of this stuff at once, we just get together whatever we can (usually 10-12 items for each kit) and Spread the Love. If nothing else, start with socks and a bottle of water. Find your best deals! Hit up the local dollar stores, flea markets, ask around (alot of people collect old hotel toiletries) or look online for bulk wholesalers. We’ve found travel toothpaste for 29 cents each, shampoo for 17 cents, and deoderant for 58 cents!! Exercise your bargain shopper skills…
An additional idea is to make Snack Packs or food kits and distribute them along with a bottle of water. Many community services only provide one meal, and having packaged food (although not very healthy) is critical to maintaining energy. Here are some suggestions:
- Cup of Ramen Noodles (don’t forget a plastic fork and a napkin!)
- Peanut Butter Crackers
- Packets of Tuna
- Granola Bars (or cereal or protein bars)
- Hot Chocolate/drink mixes
- Pop Tarts
- Cheese and Crackers
- Snack Size chips
- Fruit Cups
- Snack Size Trail Mix
- Dried Fruit
- Cookies
- Peppermints/Candy Bars
- Fresh Fruit (like a banana, an apple or a tangerine)
Our friends at 3bagsin2days have a great system because they make both a hygiene kit and a snack pack, and put them together in a recyclable bag from Walmart. Which brings me to…
Another Important Note: The bag matters! How am I supposed to carry a ziplock? We can’t always spend the money on those reusable fabric bags, but just keeping some plastic shopping bags handy makes a huge difference. Even if you parcel everything up in a ziplock, put it inside another bag with handles. It’s just more convenient, and it might ensure that every item in your bag gets used.
Finally, the most important element to every single kit, snack pack or bag that you give away:
- LOVE
This shows up in our attitude when we put the bag together and when we give it away. Smile, have a conversation, shake hands, hug, have a moment with a stranger. Your time is your most valuable resource. 1 Corinthians 13:3 says that if we give it all away without love, it’s worthless. So do it wholeheartedly and the possibilities for change are limitless.
If you have any questions about this stuff, feel free to leave a comment below, or check out these great organizations who specialize in making these kits and giving them away with love.
http://lovebags.org/lovebags/index.html
http://homelessbagproject.org/
http://www.dosomething.org/project/caring-bags-homeless
A few of my twitter buddies have contributed to this list and I would like to thank them for thinking of what I hadn’t thought of! You can click on each one to see their website or their twitter page:
@LoriTruth. @DoingitHomeless. @StaffaRoadTrip. @Slowdeck. @PastorCJ3. @DareDiva.
Awesome tips! I’ve often wondered when putting together hygiene packs whether all of the items will be wanted or used. It always bothers me to think that I may be giving someone a bag full of items that they won’t use because I don’t want to burden them with a bunch of stuff they don’t want or need. I hope in such a case they would share the items they don’t want with others in need, because I’d hate for anything to go to waste. One of the women I regularly give food and hygiene bags to has told me a few specific items that she wants and needs, so I make a point of including them in her bags each time. It’s very helpful to actually know what the recipient wants.
When I was homeless, happiness was clean socks and dry boots. Next in line was toilet paper and Kleenex, or paper towels, which served both purposes in a pinch. An empty plastic gallon paint can with a lid will keep TP dry in a rainstorm.
I was a rural homeless person. A tent in the woods and such amenities as I could fabricate were sufficient to my needs. I cannot imagine the challenges of urban homelessness. God bless them, and God Bless you, Shay.
Bill
I like to use large zip lock bags they are great to keep things like important papers.
If you have a Big Lots store nearby, they usually have a wealth of overstock & discontinued items that they sell at a discount, compared to most other stores. Make sure to join their frequent buyer program…..it’s free to you, and they’ll e-mail you the store ads before they come out, occasionally send out club-only discounts (either on individual items, or sometimes, a percent-off coupon to use), and once you have 10 trips there, spending $20 or more (which isn’t difficult!), you get a 20% off coupon to use, which can save a bundle!
Shay mentioned packets of tuna and fruit cups. Something to remember is that the folks receiving these items may not have a can opener…..so make sure to buy packets of tuna, and pull-top plastic cups of fruit/pudding/whatever else, so that they’re not stuck with food they can’t get open.
In the meantime, I’m looking into what it will cost to buy Shay & Shane a bunch of the old style military “P-38″ pocket can openers, that they can hand out too. If you’re interested, do a search online for the cheapest prices.
i love this idea! and thanks for the shopping tips!
i’m actually in the process of saving money to purchase items for hygiene kits for an organization here in delaware. they make it easy by giving an exact list of the items that they want for both the hygiene kits and to-go meal kits (which i’ve donated before). i often wonder if the food or the hygiene kits are more valuable but i guess they each have its place.
That’s awesome Jana! Which organization in Deleware? We would love to help them out when we come through town in the fall. Please feel free to leave an additional comment or to email us at info@Project-5050.com Thanks for the Love!
I was looking to see what your needs were, and wow, you sure gave me some great ideas. I’ve been stocking up, and will continue to do so until we meet again!
“As soon go kindle fire with snow, as seek to quench the fire of love with words.” ~ William Shakespeare