Volunteers are the backbone of our mission at Giving the Basics. In 2024, 3,611 volunteers showed up to fight alongside us against hygiene poverty. Without the support of our amazing volunteers, the work we do to help supply hygiene products to people who need them simply wouldn’t happen.

Our mission is big, and our heart is to grow it even bigger. We want to continue serving the people, organizations, and communities we are now, but we envision our fight against hygiene poverty to grow to impact more people in our community and beyond. And to do that, we need all hands on deck.

So here’s our invitation to you: join us! Here at Giving the Basics, we offer a volunteer experience that’s professional, hands-on, and high-impact. Every single one of our volunteers contributes to our mission in real, tangible ways.

We sat down with Bobbie and Roy, volunteers with Giving the Basics, and with Austin Conner, our Head of Logistics, and asked them to share more about the volunteer experience. If our mission resonates with you and you’re curious about getting more involved, read on to learn more about what it’s like to volunteer with Giving the Basics.

Austin Conner, Head of Logistics

What is the volunteer experience like with Giving the Basics?

Austin: The first time you volunteer with us, we’ll give you everything you need to succeed. We’ll show you a short video explaining who we are and what we do, we’ll give you a tour of our warehouse and explain our process. We make sure you understand not just the job you’re doing, but how you’re impacting the work that we do as an organization. Then, we’ll take you to our volunteer room and get you started on whatever role you’re working in. Our volunteer sessions usually last about one and a half hours, sometimes two.

What kinds of volunteer roles are available?

Austin: We welcome anyone who wants to volunteer—any age, any ability. We have many different kinds of projects for many different kinds of people. Some of the main jobs our volunteers do for us include stocking shelves, sorting products we receive after product drives, packaging products so they’re ready to go out to our partners, and filling orders from specific partners when they request hygiene products from us.

How do Giving the Basics Volunteers make an impact on those in need?

Austin: Volunteers are absolutely pivotal to our work. There’s so much work to be done, and without our volunteers, it simply wouldn’t happen. We provide products to organizations like schools, churches, and homeless shelters who are already doing a great job of getting resources to people to help them better their lives, and because of our volunteers, we’re able to continuously provide them the products they need to take care of their people.

What’s the best way to sign up to volunteer?

Austin: There are different options, all on our website. The best entry point is our Community Night, because on our other volunteer nights, we usually only allow people to sign up in groups. If you’re considering volunteering as an individual, Community Night is great because you can sign up as an individual, come do some volunteer work, and see if it’s something you’d like to do more of.

You can also sign up with a group. We often have groups come in from business, churches, or schools, and people always have a great time. It’s a great way to have fun as a group while making a real impact on the city and the community.

What would you say to someone considering volunteering with Giving the Basics?

Austin: When you volunteer with us, you make a huge impact on people’s lives. These hygiene products really matter to people. They represent an opportunity to make a big change in their lives, whether it’s getting clean for a job interview, not getting bullied at school, or even just being able to balance their money enough to pay their medical bills. We’re giving so many people the relief of not having to worry about how they’re going to get clean, and if you volunteer with us, you can be part of that, too.

Bobbie and Roy, Giving the Basics volunteers

What led you to start volunteering with Giving the Basics?

Bobbie: I’m part of a women’s social philanthropic organization called Kansas City Young Matrons, and about 10 years ago, I started volunteering with Giving the Basics with that group. Then, when COVID hit, they had a much more limited number of people who could volunteer, but their need was greater than ever. So, Roy and I started going on our own to help out.

Roy: I volunteer at a food pantry, and the work we did at Giving the Basics seemed similar. We definitely believe in the mission, and honestly, it’s fun to get your hands dirty a little bit. It felt really meaningful from the beginning because you feel like you’re really helping people.

Bobbie: When I volunteer, I want to do something. I want my time to be useful. That was what really appealed to me when I first started going—I always felt very needed. You never just stand around. You feel like you’re really doing something that means something.

Did anything surprise you when you started volunteering?

Roy: I kind of understood what they were doing as an organization, but I didn’t realize just how big their operation is. It’s kind of a big deal. It’s a good organization run by good people, and the amount of impact they’re making is really amazing. It’s just great to be a part of it.

Bobbie: I am sometimes blown away by the number of people they serve and the different populations they reach out to. The school program, which is so important to kids in schools who don’t have hygiene products. The seniors program. The shelters and police programs they support. The difference they’re making in so many areas is just so impressive.

What would you tell someone who’s considering volunteering with Giving the Basics?

Roy: Simple—I’d say come check it out! See what you think. Get a tour.

Bobbie: I’d say the same thing. Come down on a Community Night. Get a feel for what we do. Your time will not be wasted, and your energy is always going to a good cause. You can learn about the experience all you want, but the best way to learn is to come experience it for yourself.

So—come experience it for yourself! Join us for a Community Night, come with a group, or learn more about the other volunteer opportunities we offer. As Roy said—come get your hands dirty with us. Make an impact, and be a part of our mission to battle hygiene poverty in our community and beyond.