Meet Brittany Horwich, Deputy Director!
Brittany comes to Simply the Basics with a Masters degree in Crisis and Trauma and over 7 years of dedication in the field of healthcare and empowerment. With a strong core in development, program implementation, evaluation, and direct service, Brittany has shown to be both mindful and analytical in her approach. Brittany brings her compassion and experience working directly with people experiencing homelessness into her decision making process and is eager to begin her journey as a leader and partner toward the development and scaling the Simply the Basics Hygiene Bank and the expansion of access to basic hygiene needs to our communities across the globe. Get to know Brittany below!
I am thrilled to be joining Simply the Basics as the Deputy Director at a time when health and hygiene are more important than ever.
What drew you to Simply the Basics? How did you first get involved?
While working within the field of direct service in San Francisco, I have had numerous opportunities, both professionally and through volunteering, to see Simply the Basics’ mission come to life and I am thrilled to now be even closer to its impact! In my previous professional role, I was with an organization that was a Nonprofit Receiving Partner of Simply the Basics. However, I also worked there before they became a Partner, so I have truly experienced the positive impact a consistent shipment of hygiene products can make for our clients and for the case managers who could now reclaim their time and no longer spend endless hours sorting and organizing through bins of products - we could put our full attention and focus on our clients and our mission! While a Receiving Partner with Simply the Basics, our organization had access to ready-to-go hygiene kits at every service day. This is what excites me about being a part of an organization that helps not only to build a foundation of success, but also keeps individuals and nonprofits at the receiving end of those most basic needs, so that they can be their most confident and courageous selves.
Simply the Basics has so many impactful ways to become involved and support your local community, so my first interaction with Simply the Basics was actually through volunteering! The first time was through attending their Period Party where I had the opportunity to donate menstrual products and hear about the amazing work this organization was completing. People shared their first and worst period stories, we laughed and cringed and all came together as a community to decrease the stigma around menstruation and gather what felt like a whole room filled with menstrual donations for the local community. My next time volunteering with Simply the Basics was at the “Women’s Empowerment Day” - which I’ve now attended twice! Every time I am involved in a Simply the Basics event I am filled with community, purpose, and compassion and that is what I am so excited to be a part of and share with all of you!
What Values will you uphold at Simply the Basics?
Dignity, Compassion, and Choice. As Deputy Director, I will put these values into every decision, conversation, and opportunity I am involved in. So much of what we do as a community and as individuals can start with a feeling or thought of compassion and empathy for another and from there we can provide people choices again, and with that, dignity and confidence can surface, allowing us all to reach and succeed at our most wild or even most simple goals.
What will you bring to Simply the Basics team?
I will bring passion, creative ideas for real life challenges, dedication, as well as feedback and stories straight from the community and our Recipients. Working in San Francisco for the past four years directly supporting individuals experiencing or at-risk of experiencing homelessness, I have had the honor of hearing their stories, listening to their needs, and being a part of their journey to success. I have also seen first hand how difficult it can be to reach your full potential when your most basic needs are not met. I will ensure that those direct conversations and needs are being related and met through our programs and mission, compassionately and with dignity.
What is your go-to hygiene product?
The product that truly lifts up my day and makes me feel the most confident - is my Sensitive Pit Cream deodorant! It is aluminum and Sodium bicarbonate free and works well for me* because I can have a reaction to some ingredients in other natural deodorants.
*Simply the Basics takes into account the specific needs of their receiving partners. We deliver the products that they need to be a healthy and confident community and don’t make that decision for them.
What is your human-super power?
Empathy and observation. I believe that listening to people, really listening, will be what brings us all closer and saves the world. (Cheesy, right?) It is our quickest and easiest way to understand the needs and values of one another. Also, I’m very good at manifesting parking spots.
Reaching our goals is what Simply the Basics is all about and I am so excited to be a part of those achievements!
Did you know that Simply the Basics is now a team of TWO! I know, I know - it is incredible the work that this organization can do with the support of YOU, our community. Here are some ways you can join us in the movement to ensure that access to our most basic hygiene needs is accessible to everyone who needs it:
Become an Ambassador! Get direct access to our Ambassador toolkit, Ambassador logo, and be a part of spreading the word and action of Simply the Basics. Your community is larger than you think - Show them your values by sharing what matters to you!
Host a Hygiene Pack event! We are all getting antsy in our homes so here is something brand NEW you can invite into your homes and do with your “pod” or with friends/family/co-workers virtually. The kits that you pack will go directly to an organization in your local community that needs it. It doesn’t get more impactful than that!
Host a Virtual Presentation! Simply the Basics provides Compassionate Conversations and Homelessness 101 presentations - virtually! This can be held with family and friends as a social event, a fundraiser, or a community gathering. Presentations are customized to your group. Contact us HERE to learn more!