Have you ever been without your daily essentials: soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste and a toothbrush? Houston Junior Forum (HJF) learned that these types of products cannot be purchased with National SNAP and State TANF programs, as these programs do not allow for the purchase of non-food items. In talking with many of our non-profit partners serving the Houston community we discovered that there is a need for these types of essentials among the populations we serve. Maintaining personal hygiene is vital to every individual’s physical and mental health, productivity, and confidence to learn.
As of 2020, the latest reports, indicated that the Greater Houston area has over 660,000 individuals that qualify for the SNAP program. This statistic only reports the number of adult individuals that qualify; it does not include the total number of family members. These statistics do not report the other individuals that do not qualify for these programs but struggle to afford these products.
The most crucial items ineligible for purchase with the SNAP card (and other programs) are hygiene/grooming items and cleaning supplies. For low-income families struggling to attend school, enter the workforce, or simply interact socially with others, good personal hygiene helps individuals with their social standing, making better first impressions at job interviews, and with social acceptance at school resulting in better learning, better self-esteem and leading to better mental health.
HJF has developed a pilot project in which we procure, pack, and deliver “Daily Essentials” boxes once a quarter to 50 vetted seniors, in conjunction with Meals on Wheels, and 50 vetted women, in conjunction with The Women’s Home, providing whole life stability for women.
How could we serve more people? The answer is two-fold -- through in-kind donations and through monetary gifts. Every $20 in donations will allow us to provide an additional box; every $80 provides an additional box to an individual 4 times a year; every $8,000 provides an additional 100 individuals a box a quarter for a year. You can donate on-line through the Houston Junior Forum donation form. If you are interested in giving in-kind product donations, please contact Lois Van Vooren at lois.vanvooren@gmail.com to receive the description of the products and sizes of the toiletries.
