How to Run a Health & Hygiene Collection Drive for Families Affected By COVID-19

COVID-19 has hit Black Americans, people of color, and low-income communities hardest in regards to health and finances. Black and Latinx Americans are twice as likely to contract and die from COVID-19 as their white neighbors. Meanwhile, people of color are almost twice as likely to report job loss and economic hardship due to the pandemic, making it especially difficult to afford crucial products for health and hygiene this back-to-school season.

The color of your skin or your family’s income shouldn’t determine your well-being, and research shows that healthy students are better learners. You can ensure students in your area have access to personal care and cleaning products to help them stay healthy and perform their best in school this fall. Use our step-by-step guide to collect and donate personal care and cleaning products for families in your community.

Table of Contents:

• Prep for Your Drive
• What to Collect
• Practice Physical Distancing
• Incentivize Your Drive
• Once You're Done

PREP FOR YOUR DRIVE

All the stuff to do before you actually run your drive.

Set a goal.

Whether you want to collect a few dozen items or a barrel full of ‘em, you’ve got to have a goal in mind for your drive. It’ll help you plan out your strategy and give folks something to work towards. Consider how much time you have, the amount of people you can engage, and what your community’s needs are.

Ask for help.

Once you’ve got a goal, you’re probably going to need at least a little help to get things going. Ask your family and friends to pitch in with set-up, promotion, collection, and (eventually) donation.

Pick a location.

A huge part of your drive’s success will depend on where you host it. If your school is open for in-person learning, it may be the easiest place to get lots of donations -- as are community centers, places of worship, or popular stores and restaurants (if they’re open, of course). Meet with an administrator to get your drive approved and ready to go.

Here’s a sample script if you need some help getting the conversation started:

“Hi! My name is [your name], and I’m running a donation drive to collect personal care and cleaning products for families in our community. With COVID-19 hitting a lot of folks hard in regards to health and finances, these health and hygiene products are more crucial than ever. Could I get your support in setting up a collection bin in [location] for [length of time]?”

(If your community is still following physical distancing guidelines/stay-at-home orders, see our section below for ways to adapt your drive.)

Get the word out.

Your planning and prepping will only go so far if nobody knows what you’re doing. Put up flyers, text people, post to your stories -- do whatever you have to do to let people know where, when, and how your drive is happening. Then encourage your friends and family to do the same with their networks (never underestimate the power of moms in local Facebook groups).

WHAT TO COLLECT

Here are the things that folks especially need right now.

Personal Care Products

These are items that help you take care of your personal hygiene and appearance. Hygiene poverty (not being able to afford everyday hygiene and grooming items) can have a serious impact on students’ confidence, relationships, and academic performance. Here are some (unused and unopened) essentials to collect:

• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Soap
• Body wash
• Toothpaste
• Toothbrushes
• Mouthwash
• Dental floss
• Menstrual products (tampons, pads)
• Deodorant
• Razors
• Shaving cream
• Hairbrushes

Cleaning Products

Maintaining a clean and disinfected environment is essential to protecting against the spread of COVID-19, but for low-income families, accessing needed cleaning supplies can be challenging. Collect some of these products to help families fight the coronavirus at home:

• Disinfectant wipes
• Disinfectant spray
• All-purpose cleaners
• Toilet bowl cleaners
• Glass cleaners
• Hand sanitizer
• Laundry detergent
• Dish soap
• Paper towels
• Sponges/scrubbers
• Gloves
• Trash bags

PRACTICE PHYSICAL DISTANCING

How to keep donations up and health risks down.

Set up drop-off bins.

Avoid gathering in large groups by setting up your donation bin in a spot where folks can visit and drop-off items individually. Try putting a bin on your front lawn that’s accessible from the street, along with a sign explaining what you’re doing and what kinds of items you’re hoping to collect. Then invite your friends, family, and neighbors to stop by with their donations one at a time while you keep an eye from a safe distance.

Do drive-by collection.

You could also take your collection to your community with (physically distanced) home visits. Plan to stop by people’s homes, and ask them to leave their donations somewhere you can access (like a mailbox or front porch). Then just come by to scoop them up -- no contact needed!

INCENTIVIZE YOUR DRIVE

Consider prizes or incentives.

Sometimes healthy competition really motivates folks to put their all into a project, and the right prize or incentive could give your drive that extra push. Encourage donations by offering something to the person that brings in the most products -- like some home-baked cookies or your babysitting services. If you’re working with your school, you may even be able to make a case to your administrator that helping with the drive should count towards volunteer credit or other school requirements.

Engage your community.

You’d be surprised by how eager members of your community are to help when it comes to a good cause. If you’re hoping to offer a prize or incentive for your drive, try reaching out to local businesses to see if they can hook you up with a product, service, or gift card. It’ll help support important work and potentially drum up some extra buzz for them.

Use social media.

There is such a thing as positive peer pressure, and encouraging your friends to participate in something that betters your community is a-okay in our book. Ask folks who donate to post about it on social media and invite others to make their donations too. (Think FOMO for good deeds!)

Social media is also a good place to share information about why this drive is important and how the products you collect can benefit your fellow community members.

ONCE YOU’RE DONE

You’ve got the goods...now what?

Collect your final haul.

If you’ve set up your donation bin somewhere, make sure you’re visiting it frequently to empty it and do any necessary maintenance. At the end of your drive, do one final sweep to get all the donated products together and clean up any bins, flyers, or other supplies. (And don’t forget to take a photo to submit to the Healthier Us campaign -- more on that below.)

Include an encouraging note.

Social and emotional support and improve physical health in others, so include an encouraging note along with the items you donate. Your note could say something like:

Hang in there, we’ll all get through this together. Sending you love and support during these times. Wishing all the best and good health to you and your family.

Sign your first name on the note, but don’t include any other identifying information.

Drop off donations.

Use this tool to find a homeless shelter near you. Call their contact number and let them know that you’ve got a donation for them, and organize a time to drop off your items. It may be helpful to have the products counted and separated by general category so that they’re organized and easier for the shelter to distribute. When you're ready to call a shelter to set up a donation, check out this Shelter Calling Script.

Report back to your community.

We want to know how you did! Submit a picture and the amount of products you collected at the Healthier Us campaign page (and you’ll even be entered to win a $2,500 scholarship!).

Then let your community know about the impact that you made together. Make sure to loop in all the folks who helped you with your drive location, prizes, and other support. Post to social media and thank everyone for keeping your community members stay healthy and safe, and for helping each other get through this together.