Essential hygiene items
What items can we take?
We're taking new, unopened toiletries.
New, unopened hotel or travel-size toiletries
Soap, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, razors
New, unopened full-size toiletry items
Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, bars of soap, face wash, lotion, deodorant
New floss
Must be in original packaging
New lip balm
Must be in original packaging
New menstrual products
Packaged or loose; loose items must be sealed in individual wrappers and placed into a clean ziploc or grocery bag.
New sunscreen
New hand sanitizer
New, unused adhesive bandages
Packaged or loose; loose items must be contained in ziploc bags
New ethnic hair and skincare products
What isn’t in this category?
Used toiletry items
Used toothbrushes or toothpaste
Open floss
Open or used deodorant or razors
Used soap
Used lip balm
Essential hygiene items.
Is your bathroom cupboard cluttered with extra bottles of shampoo that you bought on sale? Have a stash of hotel toiletries you don't use but can't bring yourself to throw away?
Let us help you get those items out of your cupboard and into the hands of community members who need them!
Partnering with 4Cs of Alameda County
4Cs of Alameda County is a nonprofit family resource agency founded in 1972. 4Cs provides child care resources and referrals and child care payment assistance to thousands of families annually. The agency also offers supports to families in times of need including; family navigation, parenting classes, and special supports for Hayward Promise Neighborhoods community members; individualized child care support for foster families and families with children with special needs and caregivers who care for them; parent engagement and education programming; free tax preparation and filing through our VITA site; free car seat installation checks; a free Children’s Fair; and RISE Resource Center services in two locations (Hayward and Oakland) that provide tangible, essential items for families with children. 4Cs also hosts monthly diaper and food distributions, backpack giveaways, and toy distributions. Ridwell donations support 4Cs RISE Resource Centers and distributions to families throughout the year.
Partnering with Berkeley Food Network
The Berkeley Food Network (BFN), founded in 2016, seeks to end hunger and poor nutrition by using innovative, community-centered solutions to build a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable food system. Weekly, BFN provides fresh, healthy, no-cost groceries to 3,000 people directly through their pantry and delivery programs, and 3,500 indirectly through partnerships across Northern Alameda County. Material provided by Ridwell will help serve our community through their many programs.
Partnering with St. Vincent de Paul of Alameda County
St. Vincent de Paul of Alameda is the largest Emergency shelter in the county, open 365 days a year. In Alameda County, 325,000 people face hunger or live in poverty. Through their programs, volunteers and community partners provide direct services to those in need. Whether it's spending time in their Community Center, staying warm and safe in our shelter, or eating a hot meal in our Dining Room, people are able to meet their most basic needs five days a week at St. Vincent de Paul of Alameda County, Material provided by Ridwell members will help their programs support our community.
Join the movement to build a future without waste.
