APPLETON (NBC 26) — Basic needs like hygiene products or cleaning supplies might be something that many of us take for granted, but for those on a fixed income, they can be difficult to afford. That's why every year, Compassionate Home Health Care works to distribute basic essentials like soap, detergent, and deodorant to those in need.
During it’s annual Holiday Giving Campaign, the non-profit puts together care packages and partners with local organizations to distribute them throughout the community. Each person the campaign reaches receives two care packages, one with personal hygiene products and the other with cleaning supplies.
CEO Dawn Paradiso-Hansen says the pandemic has helped the organization shine a light on those who are in need of these products, many of whom may be forced to choose between toiletries or food.
“If anything what the pandemic has done is helped us to be able to educate our community that we have individuals in need, they are on a very tight budget and if we can assist them bay giving them items to help them for a month or two, it can take a little bit of stress off their shoulders," Paradiso-Hansen said.
The non-profit partners with 27 organizations across Northeast Wisconsin, from shelters to local area schools. Since it started in 2010, the campaign has quickly grown from reaching about 90 people in its first few years to reaching about 3,000 people every year. The campaign has already surpassed that number this year.
A simple gift of hygiene products can bring a sense of security to those who may be struggling to afford them.
"It may just be a couple dollars to you or I, or anybody really, but if you don’t have it, it really pulls at your heart that you don’t have something to wash your dishes or to wash your clothes for your kids before they go to school,” said human services intern Denise Houshour.
“Knowing that they’re getting these items and that it’ll get them through a couple of months, it’s a huge weight off their shoulders, because then they can allocate that money that they have for something else,” Paradiso-Hansen said.
To learn about the Compassionate Home Health Care's fundraising events or learn how you can make a donation, click here.
