As the final school bell rings and summer begins, many children feel a wave of freedom. But for families living on the edge of poverty, summer doesn’t mean fun in the sun—it often means losing access to some of the most basic things they need to live with dignity.

At Giving the Basics, we know the school year provides more than lessons and lunch. For thousands of kids, it’s also a quiet but critical safety net—a place where hygiene products are available so they can show up clean, confident, and included. When schools close, that net disappears. But the need doesn’t.

When Clean Becomes a Luxury

Hygiene poverty is a silent crisis. It doesn’t always show up in statistics or headlines—but it shows up in how a kid sits in a room.

It’s the child who stops raising their hand because they’re self-conscious about body odor. The teenager who skips out on their first job interview because they don’t have deodorant or toothpaste. The parent who turns away from a community program because they haven’t had access to shampoo in weeks and feel ashamed.

These aren’t abstract stories—they happen every summer, in every city, and often in silence.

Over the school year, teachers, counselors, and administrators quietly supply kids with hygiene products through programs we support. But in the summer, families are left to fill the gap alone. There’s no classroom drawer stocked with soap. No teacher noticing that a child’s struggling.

And since hygiene products aren’t covered by government assistance programs like SNAP or WIC, families already managing tight budgets are forced to make hard choices: food or toilet paper? Gas money or period products?

What’s Left When School Is Out?

When institutions pause for summer, it’s often community organizations that step up. Food pantries, summer camps, transitional housing, youth programs—they become the new frontline for kids and families trying to maintain normalcy during a season that too often brings instability.

One of those vital organizations is the Police Athletic League of Kansas City (PAL), which offers fun, interactive year-round programs for youth and KCPD officers. Rooted in the belief that all young people deserve the chance to grow, connect, and succeed, PAL provides a wide range of activities—like art club, pickleball, and boxing—that build confidence and motivation while offering strong, positive role models.

Each PAL activity includes a life skills curriculum, and all participating youth are encouraged to maintain a 2.0 GPA or attend tutoring sessions to improve. PAL isn’t just a place to hang out—it’s a space for growth, accountability, and mutual respect between officers and youth.

“Building positive relationships with officers—especially in today’s society—starts at PAL. Some kids wouldn’t go to school, but they’d come to the PAL center.” — (Ret) Sgt. Skip Cox, PAL Executive Director

These aren’t just places for recreation—they’re safe spaces where dignity can be restored. And they rely on something else: us.

Giving the Basics doesn’t take the summer off. Our work ramps up to meet the invisible but very real surge in need. We provide essential hygiene products—no cost, no qualification, no shame—through a web of over 300 community partners, ranging from shelters to city departments.

“One of our PAL kids wasn’t participating in class so his teacher encouraged us to talk to him and he said, ‘When I raise my hands I have pit stains, and that’s embarrassing. I don’t get to shower. I know I smell, and I get bullied. I can’t participate in class because of my hygiene.’ That moment changed everything. We started a $150,000 renovation to the PAL center, creating locker rooms with showers and hygiene products from Giving the Basics available for the kids at any time.” — (Ret) Sgt. Skip Cox, PAL Executive Director

Our Summer Commitment

Hygiene is about more than being clean. It’s about how you’re seen—by others, and by yourself. That truth doesn’t expire in June.

“One bad decision caused by lack of self dignity can snowball into a lot more bad decisions ultimately causing law enforcement to get involved. By stepping in on the front end, providing these kids with essential hygiene supplies, it leads to stronger self dignity and ultimately better decision making.” — (Ret) Sgt. Skip Cox, PAL Executive Director

Here’s how Giving the Basics shows up all summer long:

• We deliver critical hygiene products like shampoo, soap, deodorant, toothpaste, diapers, period supplies, and more to organizations serving youth and families over the summer months.
• We work directly with partners filling the void left when school programs end—whether it’s a summer camp for underserved kids, a youth job readiness program, or a transitional housing site for single parents.
• We engage corporate and community volunteers who pack and sort thousands of products for rapid deployment—because logistics matter when dignity is on the line.
• We make donating easy and impactful, helping local businesses and individuals turn in-kind goods and financial gifts into real, immediate relief.
• How You Can Help This Summer

This summer, you can help a kid feel confident enough to show up.
You can help a teen step into their first job with pride.
You can help a parent feel like they’re doing enough for their child.

Here’s how:

Donate — Even $10 can help stock shelves for a local pantry or summer program

Volunteer — Come sort, pack, and deliver hope. Bring your kids. Bring your team. Be the difference.

Learn more — Understand the scope of hygiene poverty, and help us raise awareness. Talk about it. Post about it. Advocate for dignity.

When we give people the basics, we give them the freedom to participate fully in life.
Let’s not let summer be a season of slipping through the cracks.
Let’s make it a season of showing up—for everyone.

All hands in. Always.