Gather to Give

Dear Friends,

As many of you know, alongside a group of professionals across Finance, HR, Education and Nonprofit, I was a part of launching Bridge to Basics in spring 2024. Bridge to Basics is a hygiene bank that fills a gap in our current social safety net, personal care hygiene products. There are incredibly limited resources available to individuals struggling to access personal care products because there are no nonprofits that are mission-focused on this issue (although nearly every nonprofits experiences the requests and tries) and federal program benefits (like SNAP & WIC) don't allow for these purchases.

Bridge to Basics provides essential hygiene items (like soap, toothpaste, period products, laundry detergent and deodorant) to thousands of struggling neighbors, restoring dignity and confidence.

What started as a few nonprofits receiving monthly support, quickly grew to 8 then 14 and now 20 nonprofits receive a reliable inventory of needed personal care hygiene items each month. (Our waitlist is now nearly 50 nonprofits deep).

To support this need, we distribute over 30,000 hygiene items each month -- at no cost -- for distribution by our nonprofit partners to struggling students, families, residents and patients. These free distributions not only mean dignity, health and participation for our neighbors receiving them, but it also means we are saving our nonprofit partners nearly 700 annual staff or volunteer hours previously spent on seeking these items AND tens of thousands of dollars they can reinvest in their work of educating, feeding, housing and healing.

I'm asking for your help this month as we look to sustain our work for the new year. We have launched a campaign called "Gather to Give," and it’s a simple way for us to collectively make a big impact. 

You can support Bridge to Basics by gathering:

1. Gathering Product: Host a small drive or purchase items directly from the online registry.

2. Gathering Support: Volunteer to sort products at the warehouse or build hygiene kits remotely.

3. Gathering Fuel: Make a direct financial donation to cover critical operating costs.

You can learn more and join the campaign right here. Or make a financial gift right from this page.

To learn more about Bridge to Basics broadly, the nonprofits we support and hygiene insecurity, visit www.BridgetoBasics.org.

Will you join me in supporting Bridge to Basics?

No matter how you choose to give, every act helps us reach our $20,000 goal and ensures more people can show up clean and confident.

Thanks so much for considering!

Best,

Kristie