Day #51: Give a Hygiene Kit

15 comments on “Day #51: Give a Hygiene Kit”

1. Our church in Phoenix does this fairly regularly- deacons are charged with overseeing the physical needs of the congregation and community, and one of our deacons suggested having everyone make a bunch of hygiene kits and keep a stock at church so we all have them in our cars. Its been a good ministry, I think! I try to have 2-3 in my car at all times, and then restock on Sundays. We added water bottles to ours too, and try to add extra during the summer. I can't imagine how intolerable homelessness would be during the summer in Phoenix!

   1. Great that your church has organized that! What is its name?

      We used to live in the PHX valley.

      1. Desert Haven Community Church (although we might have dropped the community, I can't remember!) Its in east Mesa. Pretty small, but with a good focus on outreach!

2. I LOVE this idea! I would add some homeopathic remedies (like Arnica for muscle bruising and soreness), as well as some Vitamin C. I think I'm going to make some of these with the kids so we can keep them in the car and hand them out when we see homeless people.

3. My husband works for an airline and brings home all the toiletries from his layovers. We package them up and give them to friends for their emergency kits/backpacks or homeless/battered women shelters. Sometimes its the little things that matter most! ;D

4. Like Kara, our church does this fairly often as well. I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I truly enjoy serving others and this is a great way to do it. I think I started making hygiene kits back about 12 years ago and I never really knew the profound affect it could have on someone until I went to a conference and heard a woman from Africa talk about her amazing experience with the hygiene kits. Here is a little article if you are interested in reading her story:
   http://www.ldsgenesisgroup.org/kallon.html

   When she spoke, she expressed how something as small as a hygiene kit could lift the spirits of her and many other women who had fled and were in hiding from the rebels. She talked about hiding in a tiny shack with 20-25 other women all bunched together. The hygiene kit was like a breath of fresh air because it made them feel better to be clean and to have such a "luxury" in such a time as that. Anyway, just thought I'd share how precious these hygiene kits can be and how grateful I am for the opportunity to serve them to others.

5. Love, love, love this idea!!! My husband also buys food gift cards to distribute. It's an easy thing for him to carry in his wallet.

6. Our church makes these kits quite often too. I also like Sara's idea of the food gift cards to distribute!

7. We've done this too, and especially here in the Southwest always try to include a bottle of sunscreen...

   1. Good thinking with the sunscreen. That is probably not on the top of the shopping list for most homeless even thought many are in the direct sun so much.

8. I love this idea! We used to always take the leftover hotel stuff and then donate that at our church's toiletry drive every year. I have a friend who gets coupons and does the whole get free stuff at the drugstores and then donates what they don't need or use.

9. This is a good idea - I think I'll try to get a couple made up for us to carry but I'm also filing this idea away as a project for my Sunday School class to undertake!

10. What a fabulous idea. I've been wanting to have something on the ready in the car to hand out. I'd thought of making some really nourishing sandwiches but they don't keep so well. It's easy to get the kids involved in making these up too.

11. What a fabulous idea!!

12. What a fantastic idea! I especially like the idea of using up travel/hotel toiletries. Thanks for the inspiration.