The Family Resources StreetSafe outreach team is traveling across Pinellas County searching for homeless youth and connecting them with the community organizations they need. From connecting teens to job placement groups to giving them meals to eat, our team is here to help. You can support Family Resources and take steps to provide for homeless youth in Pinellas County by helping us collect items for hygiene kits for homeless youth that our street team will hand out.
What Items Do We Need?
We are looking for basic hygiene items that most people use day-to-day. Travel size items are appreciated, and it’s possible to buy many of these items in bulk packages that we can break into individual kits. The items we most need include:
Along with items for our hygiene kits for homeless youth, we need things like sunscreen, socks, and watches that youth can use while they’re living on the street. Many teens who ran away from home are wary of adults promising shelter or care. We can form positive connections with them by providing items that offer comfort when they’re on the streets as a way to build trust so they will turn to us in the future.
Why Are We Creating Hygiene Kits for Homeless Youth?
Food, water, and shelter are necessities to survive. However, basic hygiene is often needed to feel human. Having access to items like toothpaste or deodorant can go a long way toward building up someone’s self-worth and making them feel clean and safe.
Not only do these items help homeless youth restore a bit of their humanity, they also prepare them to move forward with their lives and take steps to get off the streets. With clean teeth and freshly brushed hair, they can feel more comfortable meeting with school administrators to talk about their education or attending a job interview.
Think about how uncomfortable you would feel if you had coffee breath or didn’t have time to wash your hair today. Now add this feeling of discomfort to the fear of meeting with adults who can decide the future of your education, career, and even housing. Something small, like access to deodorant and a hairbrush before the meeting can go a long way.
4 Ways to Help Us Create StreetSafe Hygiene Kits for Homeless Youth
There are multiple ways you can support the Family Resources StreetSafe team to help the homeless youth in our area:
- Collect items and drop them off. Stop by your local grocery store or pharmacy and pick up the items listed above for our StreetSafe team. Drop items off at 38215th Ave N., St. Petersburg, Monday – Friday from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm or call Amy or Kim at 727-521-5200 to make special arrangements.
- Purchase items from our Amazon wish list. You can purchase items here on our Amazon wish list and have them shipped directly to Family Resources.
- Donate directly to Family Resources. If you are unable to gather items and drop them off, donate directly here. Even a small donation can support the creation of hygiene kits, the training and hiring of StreetSafe staff, and the other expenses we have like gas for our StreetSafe van.
- Launch a fundraiser in your business. Ask your staff and customers to collect items and drop them off at your business. You can reward your staff with a jeans day or offer customers a discount or free item for their donation.
We appreciate everything you do to keep our organization running. No donation is too small to make an impact in the community. With your help, our StreetSafe team will be able to form connections with the homeless youth in Pinellas County and work to get them off the streets.
Image credit: stevepb, sterlingpr, image shared above are not part of an actual Family Resources hygiene kit.