Solving for UN Sustainable Development Goal #1: No Poverty

When living in poverty, or with limited income, you are faced with impossible decisions everyday due to not having the financial means to met your most basic needs. Whether it’s due to lack of access to proper sanitation, clean water, adequate and safe housing, education, inequality or numerous other causes that we see across the globe, the impact of poverty in our societies affects us all. When people have access to their most basic needs, they are more able to achieve their goals, attend school, succeed at work, and be a part of the community.

Simply the Basics hygiene bank collects and distributes hygiene products to communities, organizations, and people in need nationwide. By providing essential items such as soap, toothpaste, and menstrual care products, we are directly addressing the hardships that over over 37.9 million Americans struggle with daily. Choosing between competing financial needs, such as heat, food, or health is an impossible choice, especially with a family. We help to lessen the stressor of where someone can access laundry soap or diapers so our neighbors don’t need to make these choices.

Access to hygiene products is a basic human right and often taken for granted, but for those living in poverty, it can feel like a luxury they cannot afford. Without proper hygiene, individuals are more susceptible to illness, infections, and disease, which can lead to increased healthcare costs, lost income, and homelessness.

Simply the Basics and local hygiene banks work to break down the financial barriers that prevent people from accessing these essential items. We collect donations from individuals and businesses, and redistribute them to community organizations, schools, and shelters.

By ensuring that everyone has access to basic hygiene products, we are helping to address the United Nations Sustainable Development goal of "No Poverty." By alleviating some of the financial burden associated with hygiene, individuals are able to focus on other aspects of their lives, such as education and employment.

Hygiene banks play a vital role in helping to combat poverty. We provide access to essential hygiene products that help to improve health outcomes and reduce financial strain. Through their work, hygiene banks are helping to make the world a more equitable place for all.

To learn more about how you can help Simply the Basics end poverty, click here.