Care Kit Competition
People living outdoors face obvious challenges keeping clean, so Home Building Foundation tries to help. For nearly ten years now, HBF has organized events where people can assemble hygiene Care Kits for people experiencing homelessness. These handy clear bags contain essentials such as shampoo, deodorant, razors, and combs as well as a warm pair of socks. Care Kits grew out of a grant from Bank of America, which created a popular outreach program shared by the other 18 affiliates of HomeAid nationwide. HBF Executive Director Brenda Ketah recalls the first Care Kit assembly sessions them back in 2013 at new employee orientations for Bank of America.
Care Kits have now sparked some friendly competition among our supporters. This summer, employees from Builders FirstSource put together 2,000-the most HBF Care Kits built ever- at its Clackamas Facility. The team worked fast and furious, achieving this record in just an hour and a half. Builders FirstSource’s Jason Behunin is on the HBF Board of Directors, and sponsored the Care Kit event to to beat the output of fellow board member Earl Pierce and his co-workers at Delap LLP. The Delap Team had proudly assembled more than 1500 at a company gathering back in 2023. Behunin tells us, he did not want to be outdone. “The friendly banter and good spirited competition between Earl and me is energizing for myself, and I believe for Earl as well.”
Pierce says building Care Kits was a great project for their "The Delap Day of Gratitude and Giving". As Pierce explains, the day “Includes time to connect with our clients, teammates, and others we work with to express appreciation and gratitude for the ways they sweeten our lives and our work.” He says it is a time for his team to give back to our communities, and bless the lives of those less fortunate. Pierce says they were proud of reaching a high mark, and is happy they pushed the Builder’s First Source team to beat them.
Where do the Care Kits Go?
HBF brings the finished kits to a variety of local nonprofits. For example, the BFS assembled kits went to Project Homeless Connect, Portland Rescue Mission, Cultivate Initiatives, and three Portland Safe Rest Villages; Menlo Park, Peninsula Crossing and Reedway. Our nonprofit partners eagerly await the Care Kits. Caroline Pope of Portland Street Response told us many houseless people have jobs, and need hygiene items like razors to be ready to go to work. At the various “sleeping pod” Villages where HBF delivers Care Kits, the staff tell us that food stamps don’t cover toiletries, and their residents often can’t afford to buy them.
Shelters also praise the kits for including the number one need for people experiencing homelessness. Socks. HBF is one of 3500 nonprofits nationwide, and one of 101 in Oregon that receive donations from Bombas socks. Bombas is a ten-year old retailer, which gives away one pair of socks for each pair that is purchased. The company goal was to give out 1 million pair by the year 2023. They exceeded their goal, donating more than 1.5 million so far. Some other fun facts about Bombas. The name Bombas comes from the Latin word for bumblebee. As the company puts it, bees work together to make their hive a better place. Inside every sock is stitched with the words ‘Bee Better”. The donated socks are black, antimicrobial, and help people living without shelter prevent foot problems.
Each bag of Care Kit supplies costs about $4.00, so HBF asks our business partners to help pay for the toiletries. That way, we can use our resources for our shelter building and education projects. HBF staff orders the supplies, and places them in bins, creating a perfect set up for an assembly line. Bags are prepared and labeled with company names as well. Companies have prepared Care Kits in a variety of settings, such as at a Taylor Morrison new housing development, and even at the NW Natural Street of Dreams. This summer, Emerio Design had a tent where party-goers could assemble the kits at its annual Client Appreciation event.
NW Natural Gas employees will put together 750 Care Kits at a November event this fall. And because of a gift from Delap, Rick’s Custom Fencing has now been awarded supplies to have its employees put them together. BFS’s Behunin tells us they welcome the opportunity to defend their title.
If your company is interested in building Care Kits, contact Chris McDowell chrism@hbapdx.org. Or, if you would like to distribute Care Kits to people in need that you see in the community, we always have a basket available in the lobby of the HBA building in Lake Oswego.