The Kindness Closet
The average American family does about 300-400 loads of laundry every year; we know that sounds like a lot but it’s true! This means they’re also spending about $200-$600 on laundry detergent!!! This is a good chunk of rent or mortgage payment, JUST going to detergent!
Unfortunately for the almost 40 million people in the U.S. that live in poverty, government assistance programs (like SNAP) don't cover hygiene products like laundry detergent.
We sure didn't know this when we first started our Buy One, Give Ten program. But then we started talking to community organizations like Kindness Closet.
“It's always weighed heavily on me that families can't afford laundry detergent and, therefore, really struggle to keep clean. Along with this comes shame and the feeling the parents aren't doing enough for their kids, which is just heartbreaking because it is not the case. It's just the result of the range of tough circumstances low-income families face.” -Anne, founder of Kindness Closet"
~ Anne, founder of Kindness Closet
Kindness Closet has a closet and a cupboard in the Charlotte suburb, Mooresville, accessible from sunup to sundown in public parks and local areas.
Both locations are kept stocked with hygiene products by local organizations such as Girl Scouts of the USA, churches, and other community members wishing to help their neighbors. Kindness Closet was first founded by the Little Helpers of Mooresville in North Carolina in November of 2018.
Anne, a mom of three, wanted a way to involve the local youth in helping out their community and showing them that even young people can make a huge difference.
The kids held a lemonade stand for the community to raise money to open the closet and cupboard, which now helps over 800 families every single month.
With no financial help for hygiene products, families often have to pick between buying laundry detergent, menstrual products, soap, and things like diapers and school supplies.
Families then often have to face the stress and discomfort of having to ask for help and explain their situation to get assistance from certain organizations.
They have to provide financial records, any governmental assistance they might be receiving, or other personal information that makes it hard to even get help. This creates a lot of distress as well to potentially have to tell a stranger that their situation makes it impossible to access hygiene products.
Kindness Closet is dedicated to helping families access basic hygiene supplies such as shampoo, soap, toilet paper, delicates, and laundry detergent with no questions asked.
A person’s clothing is one of the first things people notice about them. How they look, whether they smell or have stains, all impact how that person feels and is treated by people around them.
Studies have shown that having clean clothes improves a person’s mood, makes them feel more confident and improves their mental health. The lack of access to hygiene products is a systematic problem that we can change through loving kindness.
Making a small decision, such as washing your clothes with Eco Sheets, knowing that they provide clean clothes to people in need every time, creates a ripple effect that supports people and brings us a step closer to a world where we are all connected.
Having access to clean clothes is something that we believe everyone deserves.
We feel so grateful to be able to work with an organization as outstanding as Kindness Closet so we can spread some more love around the world together.
We couldn’t do it without you, Eco Hero. With your support, every laundry day is a small act of loving kindness that makes a big impact.
