GFWC Nu-Era Study Club Volunteers

In March, something powerful happened inside the Giving the Basics Kansas City warehouse.

Twenty-four corporate and community volunteer groups showed up ready to serve. Together, 323 volunteers gave 492 hours of their time to help pack hygiene supplies for students across our region. Their work is already making a difference. It’s helping fuel the momentum behind our Spring Showers campaign, which aims to provide 300,000 hygiene items to local schools before the end of the school year.

This kind of impact only happens when a community comes together.

Volunteers Make School Support Possible

Blue Valley North Heart Works Volunteers

Every hygiene box packed represents something bigger than a product.

It represents:

• a student walking into class with confidence
• a counselor able to meet a need immediately
• a teacher seeing improved focus and participation
• a family receiving relief during a difficult season

When volunteers step into the warehouse, they become part of a system that helps ensure school hygiene shelves stay stocked across hundreds of partner schools.

Their time translates directly into access for students who need the basics to succeed.

24 Volunteer Teams Showing Up for Students

University of Memphis Volunteers

Throughout March, volunteer teams from businesses, universities, faith communities, and civic organizations worked side by side to prepare shipments of essential hygiene items like deodorant, shampoo, and feminine hygiene products.

These teams didn’t just pack boxes. They strengthened a network of support that helps schools respond quickly when students need help most.

One volunteer from the University of Memphis Alternative Break Experience shared:

“I feel inspired! Giving the Basics is doing such incredible work! I am so grateful to have been a part of the process even if it was in a small way. I am so thankful! I pray y’all continue growing and helping.”

Responses like this remind us that volunteering creates impact in two directions—it supports students and inspires the people who serve.

Thank You to Our March Volunteer Teams

Kompass Kapital Volunteers

We are incredibly grateful to the 24 volunteer groups who joined us in March to support students by packing hygiene supplies in our Kansas City warehouse. Your time, teamwork, and energy helped move essential products closer to the schools and students who rely on them every day.

Each volunteer shift helped strengthen our ability to stock hygiene shelves across partner schools and support the success of our Spring Showers campaign, ensuring students can finish the school year with the basics they need.

A Community Effort That Changes Lives

Right now, volunteers are playing a key role in helping Spring Showers succeed.

Spring Showers is a community-wide effort to provide 300,000 hygiene items to students before the school year ends. While businesses are running drives and community partners are amplifying awareness, volunteers are helping ensure those donated products move quickly and efficiently to schools.

Exceptional Humans Volunteers

Packing supplies today means shelves are stocked tomorrow. That connection between volunteers and students is what turns generosity into real, measurable support.

Stocking hygiene shelves in schools doesn’t happen automatically. It takes coordination, partnerships, and volunteers willing to step in and help make it happen.

Every hour served in March helped prepare shipments that schools rely on every week. Together, these 24 volunteer teams helped strengthen a system that supports students’ confidence, attendance, and ability to focus in the classroom.

And they are part of something bigger than a single day of service. They are part of a community making sure students have the basics they need to thrive.

Join the Volunteer Community Supporting Students

If you’ve ever considered volunteering with your coworkers, classmates, or community group, this is a meaningful and hands-on way to make a difference locally.

Whether you join during Spring Showers or later in the year, your time helps ensure students have access to the essentials they deserve.

Learn how your group can get involved at www.GivingtheBasics.org/volunteerkc

A Special Thank You To:

• Henderson Engineers Volunteers
• ANS Volunteers
• Stella Maris Volunteers
• Central Bank of KC Volunteers
• Oasis Volunteers
• Summit Homes Volunteers
• Larson Financial Volunteers
• KCNC Volunteers
• Laminate Works Volunteers
• KCYM Volunteers
• From the Earth / Illicit Volunteers
• McCown Gordon Volunteers
• Turner and Townsend Volunteers
• Summit Future Foundation Volunteers

A Partnership with Purpose

At Giving the Basics, we believe generosity grows when people are invited to participate in meaningful ways. Last month CBIZ exemplified this ideal, by challenging interns to lead a company-wide charity drive in support of Giving the Basics.

The goal? Raising $10,000 through an annual competition that blends team building, networking, and real community impact.

For many on the CBIZ team, the cause already felt personal. As accountants who work with Giving the Basics professionally, they understand the organization’s mission in a unique way.

“It’s also really cool that Giving the Basics is a client of ours,” one intern shared. “We do this work for them regularly, and then we actually get to help them in a different sense.”

Networking for Good Drives High Participation

Accountant Career Matchmaker Roxanne Sabatino-Istas has seen the impact of this annual charity drive year after year.

“It boosts morale, strengthens team relationships, and gives employees a shared goal outside of daily responsibilities,” she said. “The interns get very into it. If they ask, people will donate. It’s great for morale, and great for team building and networking.”

For the trainees leading the effort, the experience pushed them to make more connections.

“I think it’s great for us interns to do this,” one participant said. “It gets us out of our comfort zone. The full-time staff expect it every year, and they know we’re supposed to annoy them a little for donations.”

By the end of the month, interns felt more comfortable around the office. Friendly rivalries formed around fundraising totals, and the entire team rallied around a goal larger than their daily work.

Friendly Competition Fuels Charity

The campaign concluded with a celebratory gathering at the Fowling Warehouse in Kansas City, where talk of who would be the ‘Top Fundraiser’ buzzed, even over the excited clattering of bowling pins.

“It’s been really fun because my competitive side has come out,” one Intern said. “I’m going against another girl for most individual funds raised. It’s gotten me out of my shell and helped me reach out to more people than I normally would.”

This tradition has become something CBIZ looks forward to every year. More than a single celebration, it’s now part of the company’s culture, showing young professionals that their voices and networks can be used for good.

By the end of February, the CBIZ team surpassed their goal, raising over $11,149 through 133 donations. As for their internal competition, the cleverly named “Audit like it’s Hot” intern group claimed gold for most cash collected.

Fueling the Mission

Partners like CBIZ help ensure Giving the Basics can continue distributing essential hygiene products to schools, pantries, shelters, and community organizations.

Every charity drive strengthens our mission to ensure individuals and families have access to the basics they need to live healthy, dignified lives.

Charity drives do even more than raise funds, they help fuel the mission here at Giving the Basics. Each campaign introduces new people to the issue of hygiene insecurity, spreading awareness and growing the number of supporters committed to ensuring everyone has access to the basic products they need.

Considering Hosting a Charity Drive?

Giving the Basics helped make participation simple by collecting donations online, even sharing a campaign “thermometer,” which allowed for teams to visually track their progress live throughout the month.

When asked what advice she would give to another company considering a fundraiser, Roxanne’s answer was simple.

“Do it! Especially with an organization that gives so much to the community and fills a need where there’s a void. Just do it… and get employees involved.”

If you’re ready to follow Roxanne’s lead, our upcoming campaign makes it simple to rally your team and make a real impact.

Spring Showers: The Corporate Hygiene Challenge

This spring, hosting your own charity drive has never been easier.

Spring Showers is a ready-to-run campaign designed to bring teams together, raise funds, and help provide essential hygiene products to those in need.

Learn more and sign up today! Join us in stocking the shelves for students this April.

Here’s Why Businesses Choose Giving The Basics

Kansas City businesses made a big impact through volunteering last month. In October, 16 corporate groups rolled up their sleeves across 18 volunteer sessions at Giving the Basics’ Hygiene Hub, packing an incredible 165,831 essential hygiene items—from shampoo and soap to deodorant and toothpaste. That’s 165,831 fresh starts for local students, families, and seniors facing hygiene poverty, where 1 in 3 low-income households can’t afford these basics.

But here’s the real story: Why do forward-thinking companies choose Giving the Basics for corporate volunteering? It’s not just about giving back—it’s about team-building, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and creating shared purpose that strengthens culture and boosts morale. When employees pack and sort hygiene items together, they’re not just filling boxes; they’re building trust, sparking empathy, and walking away prouder of the company they represent.

Why Corporate Volunteering at Giving the Basics Works

Smart businesses know that CSR isn’t a checkbox—it’s a competitive edge. According to Deloitte, 77% of employees want to work for socially responsible companies, and hands-on volunteering is one of the most effective ways to deliver. At our Hygiene Hub:

• Team-Building in Action: Assembly lines require communication, problem-solving, and collaboration—skills that translate directly to the workplace.
• Tangible Impact: Every item packed has a destination—local schools, shelters, and pantries—making the ROI on time crystal clear.
• Employee Engagement Boost: Volunteers leave energized, connected, and aligned with a mission that matters.

This October, 239 corporate volunteers experienced exactly that. Here’s what they had to say:

“Today I felt like I was making a tangible difference in my community. Providing access to ‘Basic’ necessities for people in my community is impactful for both the recipients and me personally!” — CC Capital Advisors (Turnstone)

“To know that after playing sports in school that I could not be clean affects not only the way you feel but affects your health. It is wonderful to know Giving the Basics is stepping in this gap.” — Searcy Financial

“I’ve walked in the shoes of not having the basics at certain points in my life. It’s been reassuring to know there are organizations like this filling the gap and providing support. I’m thrilled to be able to volunteer and give back now. In my Arnold Schwarzenegger voice… I’ll be back!” — Oasis Senior Advisors KC

“I personally have been homeless in the past. I went times without the basics. Hygiene is important for everyone. I am so happy to hear that this place exists and for being able to be a part of this.” — DOCF

These aren’t just quotes—they’re proof that corporate volunteering builds empathy, strengthens teams, and drives real change. When employees connect their work to a cause like dignity through hygiene, they return to the office more engaged, collaborative, and proud.

A Big Shoutout to Our October Corporate Groups

Ready to Level Up Your CSR?

Whether you’re planning 2026 team-building or want to deepen your Corporate Social Responsibility impact, Giving the Basics makes it easy:

• Flexible Scheduling: Morning or afternoon shifts for groups up to 30.
• Custom Impact Reports: Post-session stats (like “Your team packed 8,200 items!”) to share internally.
• Pair with Giving: Many companies amplify impact by combining volunteer days with product drives or financial matches.

Book your 2026 corporate volunteer session today at
givingthebasics.org/volunteer.
Let’s turn your next team outing into a movement.