Minnesota's largest community based non-profit mental health provider is taking a unique approach to Mental Health Awareness Month by hosting a month-long drive collecting hygiene products such as toothbrushes, warm clothing, shampoo, and more to help those in-need.
"We see a large number of people who are low income or unsheltered who a lot of times don't have access to basic needs or if they do have an income, they're spending a lot of that on housing or food," said People Incorporated director operations, Jessica Hill. "Things like shampoo or deodorant are often lost on that list."
Many of the needed items may seem simple, but go a long way when it comes to helping during times of need and distress.
"It can be anything from clean socks, which we use a lot in our street outreach," Hill said. "Getting clean socks to someone can go a long way in that bridge building with that person. It can also just be that ability to get clean clothes. A lot of times people come to use with just the clothes on their backs. The ability to use shampoo, change a shirt, or get clean socks just goes a long ways towards building psychological safety and making really good steps towards mental wellness."
People Incorporated urges individuals to host their own hygiene drive throughout May including communities and coworkers to collect as many items as possible using an already-established list of the most-needed hygiene items.
Those items include hairbrushes, deodorant, dental floss, shampoo and body wash, toothbrushes and toothpaste, as well as tampons and sanitary pads.
"We are constantly seeing the need and there's never a shortage of people that need access to services," Hill said. "There's more people that we're seeing like families or people who are first-time homeless. People who are needing to be connected. There's more need to work on mental health and it's just really hard to navigate our systems for people. That's where we can step in."
People Incorporated will help coordinate a drop-off or pickup of items for those who choose to host their own hygiene drive throughout the month of May.
