What's the Best Gift you Can Give the Unhoused This Winter?

This holiday season, while there will always be new gadgets, clothes, and trendy items, we encourage you to take a step back. What gifts are fundamental for day-to-day life, not just Christmas, Ramadan or Hanukah? Do food, water, shelter, hygiene and clothing come to mind? This winter season, when you see an unhoused person the reality is they may have no stable access to any of these things. With the drop in weather and increased homelessness in 2021, our unhoused neighbors are in crisis. That’s why we’ve asked the question, how can we help?

That’s why we are proud to announce Simpleaf’s Buy, A Box Gift a Box initiative! For the month of December, when you purchase a Simpleaf Essentials kit, 17 of our best-selling hygiene products, we donate 40 Body Shower Wipes to an unhoused neighbor this year. We are partnering with multiple organizations to distribute the wipes to the young families, veterans, former convicts those suffering with addiction, people fleeing abuse and the chronically unhoused.

What difference can wipes make?
Homelessness is a large issue with so many factors involved, but what we’ve learned firsthand from our partner in giving Larry Walker, founder and CEO of Gideon Group is that hygienic wipes make a big difference in transitioning out of homelessness. Below are 3 case studies of the impact your gift can have on a homeless individual or family.

Single mother
When you give the gift of 40 body shower wipes to a single mother, you give the gift of time. In many non-professional roles, being late by even a minute can ensure you’ll be let go. You can empower a mother, who cannot afford unemployment to prepare her kids in the morning to go to school quickly and confidently. For the children, these body shower wipes can provide the gift of self-esteem and exploration. Without an odor, they can focus on their learning and fostering positive relationships in a safe space, school!

Individual
When you give the gift of 40 body shower wipes to an unhoused individual, you give the gift of opportunity. Unemployment is one of the driving factors of homelessness, and smell is one of the largest indicators of homelessness. That’s why with 40 showers, you provide a month of job seeking where unhoused individuals will have a more level playing field and the opportunity to break free from this difficult situation.  

Habitual unhoused person
When you give the gift of 40 body shower wipes to a habitually unhoused person, you give the gift of health. The reality is some individuals [stat around xx percent] through mental, physical and emotional limitations may find themselves habitually homeless. That doesn’t change the fact that being unhoused is terrible for quality of life and overall life expectancy. With the winter temperature drops, clothing and regular hygiene practices are one of the only defenses they can have this season. The 40 body shower wipes as they enter the thick of winter is truly the ultimate gift.

So many different stories but so many avenues to help. This year we encourage you to partner with us to give the gift of health, hygiene, and dignity to 500 of our unhoused neighbors!