Inside every kit is something someone ran out of.
Four kit types, each built from what local partners say is missing. Free to the partner who hands it over, and to the person who opens it.
Every kit is free, always.
We never sell kits, partners never pay for them, and the person who opens one pays nothing.
Pick a kit, see what is inside
Hygiene & Personal Care
Cleanliness and basic health protection for people who do not have reliable access to water, showers or toiletries.
Who it reaches
Unhoused people, displaced families and people in temporary shelters
- Packaging
- Heavy duty zip bag or small pouch
- Item focus
- Travel sized, non perishable, practical daily essentials
- Prototyping goal
- 6 to 8 items that fit in a gallon bag
Example contents
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Deodorant
- Bar soap
- Shampoo
- Comb
- Washcloth
- Encouragement note
Follow one item from a cart to someone's hands
Three steps, one item, and a person on the other end of it.
An item leaves a cart or a bin
Someone buys from the Amazon registry or drops new supplies at a collection site. We check it in and confirm it is new, unopened and still in date.
- Registry or drop-off
- Checked in and sorted
- New and unopened only
What makes an ImpactKit different
Shaped by partners
We ask the organizations we serve what is missing, then build the kit around the answer.
New and sealed
Everything is new and unopened, so every person gets something clean, safe and theirs.
Always a note
Each kit includes a handwritten message from a volunteer. It is often the part people keep.
Packed with care
Items are sorted, checked and arranged by hand, because how a kit feels matters as much as what is in it.
What goes in the bag
These are the items we use most. Give a few, or give them all through our registry.
- Travel toothbrushes
- Toothpaste
- Bar soap
- Shampoo & conditioner
- Deodorant
- Washcloths
- Crew socks (new)
- Warm socks
- Hand lotion
- Lip balm
- Tissues
- Hand sanitizer
- Combs & brushes
- Feminine hygiene products
- Tea & cocoa packets
- Fleece blankets
- Reusable tote bags
- Greeting cards
What goes into a kit, and who gets it
Direct answers, without the runaround.
What items go into an ImpactKit?
An ImpactKit contains new, sealed essentials chosen for one situation: hygiene items such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, bar soap, shampoo, comb and washcloth, school supplies, disaster essentials, or new parent and infant care items. Every kit also includes a handwritten note from a volunteer.
What are homeless care package items?
A care package for someone experiencing homelessness usually holds travel size hygiene basics: a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, bar soap, shampoo, comb, washcloth and a handwritten note. Ours are packed as hygiene and personal care kits.
Do you accept socks donation for homeless shelters?
We do not currently pack socks. Our four kit types are hygiene and personal care, education and school readiness, disaster and emergency, and new parent and infant care, and each one is built from the items local partners ask for.
What are disaster relief care kits?
Disaster relief care kits are packs of long shelf life essentials that help a household through the first 48 to 72 hours after a fire, flood, outage or evacuation. Ours are built for durability, weather resistance and utility.
Are the kits really free?
Yes. Kits are free to the organizations that distribute them and free to the people who receive them. We never sell kits and we never charge a partner.
Every kit starts with someone like you.
Fund a kit, host a bin, or bring kits to the people you serve.
Questions? hello@impactkits.org or +1 714-509-0003