Hygiene Poverty

Every first Monday in October, we celebrate Children’s Health Day, a time to spotlight what every child deserves: a healthy start and a hopeful future. While much of the conversation centers around medical care, nutrition, and mental wellness, there’s a foundational element we often overlook—access to basic hygiene. At Giving the Basics, we believe that good health starts with dignity, and dignity begins with the simple act of feeling clean.

Why This Matters

Imagine starting your school day without deodorant, without toothpaste, or without clean clothes. It’s a reality many kids face—not because they don’t care, but because hygiene products are simply out of reach. This is known as hygiene poverty, and it’s a growing issue in our communities. Unlike food or medicine, hygiene items aren’t covered by government assistance programs like SNAP or WIC. As a result, countless families are forced to go without soap, shampoo, feminine products, or even diapers.

The impact runs deeper than just physical discomfort. Students experiencing hygiene poverty often struggle with attendance, bullying, and self-worth. In fact, studies show that 42% of students affected by hygiene poverty have missed school, simply because they didn’t feel clean enough to attend. When kids can’t show up confidently, their ability to learn, grow, and thrive is compromised.

Giving the Basics: A Hygiene Charity Making a Difference

Founded with the mission of restoring dignity through hygiene, Giving the Basics works every day to bridge this critical gap. By partnering with schools, food pantries, shelters, and outreach programs, we provide free hygiene orders for schools and families in need. These orders are thoughtfully assembled with essential items like soap, toothbrushes, deodorant, feminine care, and more—items that can transform a child’s day and outlook.

Currently, Giving the Basics serves over 400 schools and agencies across Kansas and Missouri, reaching thousands of students each year. Oue simple, practical model empowers local organizations to stock products where kids can access them quietly—nurse’s offices, school pantries, or guidance centers. It’s an approach rooted in dignity, trust, and community cares.

How Schools Can Join the Mission

Schools are often the first to notice when a child is struggling. Teachers and counselors witness the effects of hygiene poverty firsthand. That’s why Giving the Basics invites schools and nonprofit organizations to apply for free hygiene orders through our program. Registration is quick, and approved schools receive orders on a recurring basis.

Once orders arrive, schools distribute them discreetly to students who need them—often with no questions asked. This approach ensures that kids can focus on learning without the distraction or embarrassment of unmet basic needs. It also fosters a school environment built on compassion and equity.

Celebrate Children’s Health Day in Your Community

Children’s Health Day is the perfect moment to take action—both at home and in your community. Families can mark the day by scheduling wellness checkups, talking with kids about healthy routines, or assembling hygiene orders together to donate.

Community groups can host events that promote hygiene education, provide free health screenings, or organize donation drives for hygiene items.

These small efforts, when multiplied across neighborhoods and schools, can create lasting change. By raising awareness of hygiene poverty and the simple steps we can take to fight it, we build a healthier, more compassionate future for every child.

Why Your Time as a Volunteer Matters

At Giving the Basics, volunteers are the heartbeat of the mission. Every donated hour helps sort hygiene products, assemble orders, and get supplies into the hands of families who need them most. Whether you’re an individual, part of a family, or looking for a team-building opportunity with coworkers, there’s a place for you to serve.

Volunteers don’t just touch hygiene items—they touch lives. They help restore confidence to a student, ease the burden on a struggling parent, and bring smiles to children who simply want to feel like their peers. It’s a hands-on way to make a real difference, one product at a time.

Volunteer with Giving the Basics

This Children’s Health Day, let’s do more than celebrate—let’s step in. Join Giving the Basics in the fight against hygiene poverty by volunteering your time. Weekly shifts are available, along with community volunteer nights and family-friendly opportunities.

Together, we can ensure that every child has access to the basic tools of health, dignity, and happiness. Because healthy kids make happy communities—and it all starts with something as simple as a clean start.

There’s something powerful about knowing your small act of kindness can create a ripple effect. Whether it’s donating a bar of soap, showing up to volunteer, or organizing a drive at work, these moments of giving add up to real change. In a world that often feels divided or overwhelming, charity reminds us that we’re still connected—that we still have the power to help someone else. That’s why days like the International Day of Charity matter. They remind us not only to care, but to act.

Every year on September 5, the world observes the International Day of Charity, a global call to action inspired by the life and legacy of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. This day was established by the United Nations in 2012 to raise awareness and encourage charitable work across the globe. The date honors Mother Teresa’s passing and her lifelong mission to serve the poorest of the poor with compassion and dignity. Her legacy is a reminder that even small acts of charity—whether through time, resources, or care—can leave a lasting impact.

Learn more at the official International Day of Charity website.

The United Nations created this observance to mobilize individuals and organizations around the world to help others through volunteering and philanthropy. The goal is simple: promote solidarity, strengthen communities, and empower people through acts of giving. You can learn more about the meaning behind this global movement at the UN site.

The UN chose this date not only to honor Mother Teresa, but to highlight the crucial role that charity organizations and individuals play in tackling global challenges—like hunger, education, and health. It’s a reminder that generosity doesn’t require wealth or status. It begins with the choice to care—and then to take action. Whether you’re donating goods, volunteering your time, or encouraging others to get involved, you become part of a global movement of people lifting each other up in meaningful, lasting ways.

That kind of impact doesn’t have to start on the other side of the world—it can start right here at home. At Giving the Basics, we make it easy for anyone to get involved in a hands-on, meaningful way. You can volunteer to pack and sort hygiene items at our warehouse, organize a Dignity Drive at your workplace or school, or bring a group to serve together. Whether you’re an individual looking to give back, a family wanting to serve together, or a company building a culture of compassion, there’s a place for you here. Every hour you serve and every item you help collect ensures someone in our community has access to the dignity of basic hygiene. That’s how you can make an impact—right here, right now.

Visit givingthebasics.org to explore how you can volunteer or support our mission. Whether you come once, bring a team, or join us regularly, you’ll be making a real difference. Let’s honor the spirit of this global day with local action. Because when you give the basics, you give dignity—and that’s how you can make an impact.