Local nonprofits join forces to provide free hygiene items

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The Gray House, a dedicated human service agency located in the North End of Springfield, has recently initiated a partnership with the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts’ Dignity Grows programs.

The collaboration has led to a significant donation of 75 tote bags filled with menstrual supplies and essential hygiene products.

This generous contribution marks the beginning of a monthly endeavor in which volunteers from Dignity Grows will assemble and deliver these tote bags to The Gray House. These items will be distributed to thoe the agency serves.

The primary recipients of these hygiene products are individuals who utilize The Gray House’s Market, a food assistance program that offers nutritious groceries to an average of 5,221 individuals each month. Additionally, those enrolled in The Gray House’s Adult Education program, which focuses on teaching English language and essential life skills to low-income migrants, will also benefit from these donations.

Dignity Grows, a program established by the Jewish Federation of Western Massachusetts’ Women’s Philanthropy committee, is dedicated to providing essential hygiene products to women, girls, and individuals assigned female at birth who are in need.

These items enable recipients to attend school, work, and engage in community life without disruptions due to hygiene-related challenges. Dignity Grows collaborates with local social service organizations, such as The Gray House, to distribute these crucial items on a monthly basis, completely free of charge. This initiative aims to offer sustainable and dependable relief to individuals in need within the community.

Kristen McClintock the Executive Director of The Gray House told 22News about the significance of this donation, “Having those essential items can really make or break for a lot of the families we’re serving, so to be able to have those essential hygiene products, they can go out, they can go to work, they can go to school. They can continue to go about their daily lives without worrying, “how I can afford the cost of affording these items,” it is a really big deal.”

McClintock says that feminine hygiene products can be expensive, so These donations will remove that financial barrier so that families have access to these essential items

For those interested in learning more about the Dignity Grows program, additional information is available on their website.