How to Run a Health & Hygiene Collection Drive for Families Affected By COVID-19

WHAT TO COLLECT

Here are the things that folks especially need right now.

Personal Care Products

These are items that help you take care of your personal hygiene and appearance. Hygiene poverty (not being able to afford everyday hygiene and grooming items) can have a serious impact on students’ confidence, relationships, and academic performance. Here are some (unused and unopened) essentials to collect:

• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Soap
• Body wash
• Toothpaste
• Toothbrushes
• Mouthwash
• Dental floss
• Menstrual products (tampons, pads)
• Deodorant
• Razors
• Shaving cream
• Hairbrushes

Cleaning Products

Maintaining a clean and disinfected environment is essential to protecting against the spread of COVID-19, but for low-income families, accessing needed cleaning supplies can be challenging. Collect some of these products to help families fight the coronavirus at home:

• Disinfectant wipes
• Disinfectant spray
• All-purpose cleaners
• Toilet bowl cleaners
• Glass cleaners
• Hand sanitizer
• Laundry detergent
• Dish soap
• Paper towels
• Sponges/scrubbers
• Gloves
• Trash bags

PRACTICE PHYSICAL DISTANCING

How to keep donations up and health risks down.

Set up drop-off bins.

Avoid gathering in large groups by setting up your donation bin in a spot where folks can visit and drop-off items individually. Try putting a bin on your front lawn that’s accessible from the street, along with a sign explaining what you’re doing and what kinds of items you’re hoping to collect. Then invite your friends, family, and neighbors to stop by with their donations one at a time while you keep an eye from a safe distance.

Do drive-by collection.

You could also take your collection to your community with (physically distanced) home visits. Plan to stop by people’s homes, and ask them to leave their donations somewhere you can access (like a mailbox or front porch). Then just come by to scoop them up — no contact needed!

INCENTIVIZE YOUR DRIVE

Consider prizes or incentives.

Sometimes healthy competition really motivates folks to put their all into a project, and the right prize or incentive could give your drive that extra push. Encourage donations by offering something to the person that brings in the most products — like some home-baked cookies or your babysitting services. If you’re working with your school, you may even be able to make a case to your administrator that helping with the drive should count towards volunteer credit or other school requirements.

Engage your community.

You’d be surprised by how eager members of your community are to help when it comes to a good cause. If you’re hoping to offer a prize or incentive for your drive, try reaching out to local businesses to see if they can hook you up with a product, service, or gift card. It’ll help support important work and potentially drum up some extra buzz for them.

Use social media.

There is such a thing as positive peer pressure, and encouraging your friends to participate in something that betters your community is a-okay in our book. Ask folks who donate to post about it on social media and invite others to make their donations too. (Think FOMO for good deeds!)

Social media is also a good place to share information about why this drive is important and how the products you collect can benefit your fellow community members.

ONCE YOU’RE DONE

You’ve got the goods…now what?

Collect your final haul.

If you’ve set up your donation bin somewhere, make sure you’re visiting it frequently to empty it and do any necessary maintenance. At the end of your drive, do one final sweep to get all the donated products together and clean up any bins, flyers, or other supplies. (And don’t forget to take a photo to submit to the Healthier Us campaign — more on that below.)

Include an encouraging note.

Social and emotional support and improve physical health in others, so include an encouraging note along with the items you donate. Your note could say something like:

Hang in there, we’ll all get through this together. Sending you love and support during these times. Wishing all the best and good health to you and your family.

Sign your first name on the note, but don’t include any other identifying information.

Drop off donations.

Use this tool to find a homeless shelter near you. Call their contact number and let them know that you’ve got a donation for them, and organize a time to drop off your items. It may be helpful to have the products counted and separated by general category so that they’re organized and easier for the shelter to distribute. When you’re ready to call a shelter to set up a donation, check out this Shelter Calling Script.

Report back to your community.

We want to know how you did! Submit a picture and the amount of products you collected at the Healthier Us campaign page (and you’ll even be entered to win a $2,500 scholarship!).

Then let your community know about the impact that you made together. Make sure to loop in all the folks who helped you with your drive location, prizes, and other support. Post to social media and thank everyone for keeping your community members stay healthy and safe, and for helping each other get through this together.