Appleton, Green Bay, Wausau/Stevens Point, Sheboygan, Eau Claire WI – 91.9/91.5/91.3/88.5/99.9FM The Family: The Family Radio Network’s 2021 “Help for the Homeless” hygiene drive received a record-breaking $502,000 worth of donated hygiene and cleaning supplies this spring for 90 crisis agencies in 19 of their listening communities. In spite the number of collection sites decreasing by 20% due to COVID, donations surpassed last year’s total by $68,000, making this year’s amount the highest ever.
Since 1992, “Help for the Homeless” donations have provided more than $4.2 million dollars’ worth of hygiene supplies to local Wisconsin crisis programs and those they serve. Donations remain in the communities where they are collected. The goal of “Help for the Homeless” is to supply a year’s worth of products to each agency.
“People come here every day for shelter or outreach services. Their biggest needs are food, shelter, and hygiene supplies. Their faces just light up because now they know they can take a shower and their shampoo, soap, razor, and deodorant will still be there tomorrow.Children come out of their rooms with sheer excitement because they have their very own toothbrush and toothpaste. It’s like we gave them a new toy at Christmas! This gratitude from these people and their children is so extremely heartwarming and humbling… it helps us remember that even the simplest of things like hygiene supplies can help to bring a family out of crisis. We are truly grateful.” – Amy Loof, Director of Homeless Services, Solutions Center
“By providing this family with shampoo, body wash, lotion, deodorant, and some detergent to wash their clothes, you’d think we had given them the world. Mom had grateful tears in her eyes and a smile on her face for days.” – Elizabeth Webb, Green Bay Public Schools – Homeless Children & Youth Program Coordinator
The Family works together with area homeless coalitions, inviting people to donate hygiene and cleaning supplies to their local crisis agencies so that they can direct their limited financial resources to providing qualified staff, education, programs, shelter and food to those they serve.
Businesses, churches, and schools participate by placing collection boxes in their high traffic areas and inviting their own staff, members, and students to donate. Financial donations are also welcome.
The Family Radio Network, Inc, along with the 90 participating crisis programs, thanks everyone who hosted boxes, donated, volunteered for, and sponsored the drive!
The Family Radio’s 2021 “Help for the Homeless” hygiene drive “Thank you” video.