Hygiene Health is Public Health
For most people, personal hygiene is simply a matter of walking into their bathroom and engaging in "washing up" and getting clean. The basic act of staying clean is something that people often take for granted in terms of feeling human and being healthy and requires great resourcefulness for those experiencing homelessness. For people who live on the streets, maintaining proper hygiene and a sense of dignity is a time-consuming and potentially dangerous endeavor. As compared with people who have homes, people experiencing homelessness are more likely to have dermatological problems, functional limitation, seizures, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, foot pain, and decayed teeth. Additionally, people who spend most of their time outside are at high risk for immersion foot, blood poisoning, infections.
The risk of death is increased eightfold in people who experience these conditions.
But hygiene health isn’t only physical health. When it comes to the impact of hygiene we also look at mental health, overall wellness, job opportunities, housing, and school attendance. We have seen an increase of teachers reporting bullying due to hygiene and more students being unable to focus or attend class due to lack of menstrual care or simply having access to dental care and clean clothes. Hygiene health plays a huge role in our social and professional lives and without access, opportunities are missed, stressors increase, and whole communities become less healthy and stable. With access to hygiene, communities become stronger and healthier as a whole.
98%
of Recipients reported an improvement in their Physical Health and a reduction in infections.
99%
of Recipients reported an improvement in their sense of Wellness & Dignity.
We have distributed hygiene across 200+ National & International cities!
Total Distribution as of October 30, 2024 by product type:
PPE (Masks, Gloves, Sanitizer, Wipes Began tracking PPE in 2020): 525,264
Dental Hygiene: 337,302
Menstrual Hygiene: 589,787
Healthy Food & Snacks: 4,325
Infant Care: 171,733
Other Hygiene + Health + Wellness (Lotion, First Aid, etc): 298,769
Razors/Shaving Needs: 42,011
Shampoo/Conditioner: 200,332
Soap, Body Wash, Wipes, Deodorant: 515,932
Household & Towels & Bedding: 15,700
Socks & Undergarments: 132,977
Complete Hygiene Kits in Reusable Tote Bags: 139,084
TOTAL BASIC NEEDS DISTRIBUTED: 3,202,404
100%
of Partners reported that they are “better able to achieve their Mission” and support client goals.
98%
of Partners reported that Simply the Basics saved them time and resources.
“I cannot overstate the value of Simply the Basics. Two weeks ago, we had a participant come up in tears to tell us that she was going to bleed through her pants but couldn’t afford a tampon. The relief as we gave her one and she sprinted off to the bathroom was palpable.”
“Our clients who do not have housing are able to keep clean and this helps in preventing illness and improves the way in which they present themselves. While our clients are surviving and trying to navigate their situation, Simply the Basics helps in improving their self-care.”
Recipient Story
“We recently had a homeless client request hygiene supplies, including a toothbrush and toothpaste, because he had a job interview later that day and wanted to make sure he went in presenting his best self. Entirely because of Simply the Basics, we were able to provide all necessary supplies so that he could interview with confidence!
We have client stories like this all the time, clients trying to reach goals but are limited by their hygiene health and cleanliness. We're now able to offer supplies to people who are trying their best in a system that often doesn't make it easy for them to succeed, and it's just wonderful to be able to take one worry off someone's plate, to make this one thing easy. We can finally say 'Yes, we have tampons!' the moment someone asks.
Simply the Basics has helped our clients to stay clean, which has a positive impact on their physical health and a huge impact on their self esteem, which in turn allows them to have better mental health and even rebuild relationships.”
