Hosting a Simply the Basics Hygiene Collection Drive

Thank you for hosting a hygiene drive with Simply the Basics. Your help brings hygiene essentials to those in need. Our Volunteer Portal will guide you through the process and give you all the information you need for your drive!

Ideas for Hygiene Drive Venues

  • Community Groups & Workshops

  • Schools

  • Offices

  • Girl and Boy Scouts

  • Fitness clubs

  • Shopping Centers and Stores

  • Restaurants

  • Birthday Parties, Events, & BBQ’s

Steps for Hosting a Simply the Basics Hygiene Drive

1. confirm items

Confirm the specific items that you will be collecting with Simply the Basics and set a goal for collection. Having a goal will keep you on target and inspire others to help you meet that number! We recommend choosing 1-3 items to focus on for your drive to increase the consistency and quantity of what you receive.

 

Items we cannot accept: Anything expired, used, or opened as well as Candles, Bath bombs, Dietary supplements / Medicine, Decorative soaps (while beautiful, typically don't have the same health impacts and the perfume can cause rashes), Hair dye, Nail polish, Beauty gadgets (face massagers, blackhead removers), Electronic toothbrushes unless it is a full kit with all pieces and never used (toothbrush heads on their own not accepted), Razor heads, unless donated with the full razor for use

2. determine Collection location

Choose a convenient location where you would like to receive products, such as your home, a company lobby, etc. This is where you can ask people to easily bring product donations! (The more accessible, the better!) Easily design a drop off bin using a box or repurpose a pop up hamper!

3. promote your drive!

Send emails to family and friends, post on social media, and put up flyers when able. This is a great way to get the word out about your Hygiene Drive! (Samples & downloads below!)

We encourage you to include an option to make monetary donations in your name, which will provide additional supplies and distribution costs for our programs! You can add our donation link HERE or request a customized QR code and link specific to your group! (Please note that we can only provide tax deductions to donations that come to us directly).

4. sort items & Quality Control

When you have finished collecting items, sort them into types and remove anything not usable.

• Separate by type of product (soap, shampoo, etc).

• Remove anything used, expired, or of poor quality. A good rule of thumb is, “would I use this myself?” If not, discard!

6. Share your results

Count items by type to submit to Simply the Basics. This helps ensures we get items out quickly and efficiently and helps with our reporting. Fill out the "Share your Results" page!

Bonus: Now you can also share your results with the everyone who supported your drive!

5. Deliver collected items

Drop offs to Simply the Basics can happen most Fridays, by appointment, 9-3pm. Deliver products by making an appointment with Simply the Basics directly. (*If you are collecting items to continue on to our Hygiene Bank Activity Day, skip this step and bring the products to the activity!)

Helpful Tips:

  • Make it easy for people to donate to your drive.

    • Create an Amazon Wishlist to purchase items on your behalf and have them shipped to your home.

    • Establish an accessible location for everyone to leave the items, such as a school or church, or business lobby.

    • Put a box outside an office lobby (or near the bathroom!) that gets a lot of foot traffic as a constant reminder.

  • Set a goal and end date, and share that goal with Family and Friends

    • Give periodic updates on how well the drive is going!

  • Promoting Your Drive

    • Help people understand the impact of their gifts.

      • Share our Documentary (8 minutes) to showcase the impact each donation can have on the community.

    • Social Media is a great tool! Tag us on social media @SimplytheBasics and share details about your drive by telling friends why you have gotten involved, and showcase your donations! 

    • Email Outreach - Send an email to family and friends explaining your project, what you are fundraising for, and ask to contribute! Feel free to use our Sample Email Template Below.

    • Make a flyer to send out so people know exactly what items you are collecting. Sample Flyer below!

  • Host an event or party and have the products be the “admission” price!

  • Add a Monetary Donation option to provide further support to Simply the Basics by having people Donate Here and including your name in the Honoree Note! You can also request a customized QR code or link specific to your group!

Sample Email Template

“Hello Friends and Family!

I am excited to be supporting Simply the Basics, a nonprofit hygiene bank that provides hygiene and health for our neighbors experiencing homelessness. I will be collecting [insert specific items] and delivering them to people in need. You can learn more about the impact of hygiene on health with this Brief Video.

Access to hygiene products and basic needs have a direct impact on a person’s health, wellness, and ability to reach their goals. A person experiencing homelessness is less likely to have access to proper hygiene care, and more likely to end up in the emergency room as a result of an infection or other hygiene related illness.

I hope you will help me reach my goal of collecting [Insert Goal Number] hygiene products for people in need! All products must be unused, travel sized is okay!

You can bring donations to me [insert address here] or let me know about arranging a pick up!

If you would like to also make a monetary donation to Simply the Basics in my honor, all donations received will support the Simply the Basics Hygiene Bank, please Donate HERE and mention my name in the donation!

The basic act of staying clean is something that people often take for granted in terms of feeling human, and requires great resourcefulness for women who are experiencing homelessness. Thank you for helping me provide dignity to our community!

Sincerely,

[Your name]”

Social Media

If you post updates on your drive, be sure to tag @SimplytheBasics so that we can highlight and share your drive with the community!

  • Tag us during the drive if this is a publicly hosted hygiene drive.

  • Take photos and tag us after the drive is completed so that we can showcase and thank you for your work!

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Sample Flyer for Collections & Boxes

Either download the already created flyers and bin label below or click “Editable Hygiene Collection Flyer” to customize and edit the flyer to fit your needs!

Use the white boxes as a space to customize your hygiene drive!

 
 

Thank you!