The Power of Hygiene and Self-Care Access in Supporting Marginalized Communities
This June we partnered with the Center for the Pacific Asian Family and My Friend’s Place to bring Kindness Kits to survivors of domestic violence and to LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness.
This past June, we hosted two events that capture what Kindness Kits is all about: equitable access to essential hygiene resources that support health, comfort, confidence, and dignity.
The first was a collaboration with the wonderful team at the Center for the Pacific Asian Family (CPAF), which serves survivors of domestic violence. On June 27th, our volunteers built kits for 15 individuals affected by sexual or domestic violence. Survivors of domestic and sexual violence often face significant barriers to healing. Trauma can affect a person’s sense of identity, confidence, safety, and self-worth, while also increasing the risk of mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.[1]
That’s exactly why thoughtful support for this population is so significant. Survivors deserve the tools, and the space, to navigate what they’ve been through. And it’s why we were so proud to partner with CPAF. We were honored to provide practical resources that support participants in caring for themselves and reclaiming moments of normalcy and self-expression.
Our kits include menstrual, dental, skincare, and makeup products. Our volunteers then walked each participant through the full selection so they could find the items that made them feel like themselves. For example, they all received makeup and self-care items suited to their skin type (not the generic one-fits-all kind). In a small but poignant way, these kits empower survivors.
“I would like to thank all the beautiful ladies who were there to give away the Kindness Kits, they were really kind and helpful, so patient with me and very generous to share their time and blessings with us who need help and support. I’m so thankful to everyone at CPAF for making this happen, it means a lot, I really appreciate all of you, may God bless you!”
— Participant from CPAF Distribution
Separately, on June 25th, we held a distribution with My Friend’s Place (MFP), dedicated to youth impacted by homelessness; specifically for young people in the LGBTQ+ community. Doing this during Pride made it feel especially meaningful!
LGBTQ+ youth are more than twice as likely as their non-LGBTQ peers to experience homelessness. The reasons are nuanced, but they stem in part from rejection within the family and elevated rates of abuse. This is compounded by the fact that many shelters aren’t adequately equipped to support this community with LGBTQ+-affirming resources and services.[2] For this reason it is important to partner with organizations like MFP that have a dedicated history of supporting this population, and why we’re committed to standing with them so these young people have long-term access to hygiene and self-care products.
At our core, Kindness Kits exists so that anyone and everyone can feel clean and confident in their own body. Everyone deserves to feel their best, and we’ll keep serving Los Angeles with that mantra in mind.