Did you know that many people in our community struggle to afford basic hygiene products?

Bridge to Basics is Minnesota’s only hygiene bank, and 1 of just 5 nationwide, founded to address hygiene insecurity—a widespread issue not addressed by government safety net programs like SNAP & WIC. This basic service gap forces low-income neighbors into unhealthy trade-offs between things like food and soap, oral care or period products, and contributes to stigma and isolation. Our data shows that 1 in 10 Twin Cities food shelf visitors miss school/work each month due to lack of hygiene.

Bridge to Basics believes that all children and adults deserve to show up confidently at our schools and workplaces. Our work promotes confidence, dignity and health by ensuring a reliable supply of essential hygiene products is distributed to struggling neighbors through familiar places and faces. Bridge to Basics leveraged the food bank model to build an organization that procures and distributes ongoing hygiene items to metro nonprofits at no cost.

We currently work across five service areas by partnering with nonprofits focused on:

Education Support: Providing products to enhance student success.
Basic Needs/Food Security: Supplying food shelves and public spaces with hygiene items.
Health & Wellness: Distributing items through community clinics and health sites to improve health outcomes.
Housing Stability: Collaborating with affordable housing providers to support residents.
Homelessness: Equipping outreach teams with essential hygiene kits.

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Hygiene for all

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