This is so cool, 13-year-old Aiden from Menlo Park has been gathering toiletrees for homeless shelters all around the Bay Area to help the homeless during this pandemic. If you're around the area this weekend and can drop off some things please help out or donate to the GOFUNDME page raising money for toiletrees as well HERE
His mom Gita wrote in:
Our next donation of toiletries is to Home and Hope in San Mateo. We are reaching out to more shelters, and hopefully through this awareness we will have shelters contacting us. He is hoping this drive will encourage people to drop off toiletries and donate to the Gofundme.com/freshen-up. Most of the toiletries dropped off are sample size, but there are families that need large size hygiene products. Through the generous donation, we are able to purchase the toiletries.
Aidan plans to do this effort throughout the year because this is not a one day issue. Through some research we are finding out there are very few drives or organizations that completely dedicated to collecting just toiletries. One obstacle he came across is finding a large donor such as Colgate. These large organizations have already committed to other nonprofits. Where he has been successful is by reaching out to local companies such as dentist offices (listed on the GoFundMe page). I myself have been making masks where a portion of the profits have been going towards the purchase of toiletries. On that note, he is hoping to find companies in the bay area that are willing to donate large amounts to the fund so he can continue to support the shelters throughout the year.