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Hygiene Insecurity Awareness Week
Join Hope & Comfort for a powerful week of awareness, action, and impact as we confront a hidden crisis affecting 2.3 million people in Massachusetts: hygiene insecurity.
From October 5 through October 11, we’ll rally communities, leaders, and partners across the state to raise awareness, expand access, and inspire change. Over the course of the week, we’ll distribute more than 500,000 essential hygiene products to children, families, and adults who need them most.
This is your chance to take part in a growing movement for dignity and health:
Your support helps ensure that no one has to miss school, work, or opportunity because they can’t afford basic hygiene items like soap, deodorant, or period products.
Check back often for new ways to engage. Together, we can end hygiene insecurity in Massachusetts.
Sponsors
Confidence Booster
Fidelity Bank
Community Partner
Rockland Trust
Events
Monday, October 6 | Virtual
Join us as we officially launch Massachusetts’ second annual Hygiene Insecurity Awareness Week with a powerful virtual kickoff event you won’t want to miss.
We’ll be joined by a special surprise guest — a nationally recognized leader in the fight for equity — who will help ground our week in purpose, urgency, and hope. Together, we’ll highlight the impact of hygiene insecurity on health, education, and opportunity, and outline how we can all play a role in advancing hygiene equity across our state and beyond.
This is more than just an event — it’s the start of a movement.
Tune in from wherever you are, and be part of launching a week of action, awareness, and change.
Monday, October 6 | Location TBD
On Legislative Service Day, we invite local public officials to roll up their sleeves and join us in service.
As part of Hygiene Insecurity Awareness Week, Hope & Comfort is proud to host Massachusetts state senators, representatives, and legislative aides for a hands-on volunteer event focused on dignity, access, and equity.
Participants will pack hygiene kits for distribution to local schools, shelters, and community partners while learning more about the growing hygiene insecurity crisis affecting 2.3 million residents across the Commonwealth.
This unique event offers an opportunity to connect policy with lived experience, strengthen partnerships between legislators and communities, and elevate a critical yet often invisible issue—access to basic hygiene.
Space is limited. Final location and program details to be announced.
To request more information, please contact events@hopeandcomfort.orgTuesday, October 7 & Thursday, October 9 | Hope & Comfort Hygiene Hub, Needham, MA
Join us for Dignity Distribution Days, a hands-on volunteer experience that brings our mission to life.
Held during Hygiene Insecurity Awareness Week, these special days invite community members, corporate partners, and volunteers of all ages to step inside our Hygiene Hub and help pack and distribute essential hygiene kits for individuals and families across Massachusetts.
With over 300 organizations on our waitlist and 2.3 million people experiencing hygiene insecurity statewide, your time and energy will directly support those who need it most. You’ll see the impact up close, hear powerful stories from the field, and be part of a growing movement for dignity and equity.
Whether you're a longtime supporter or new to our mission, Dignity Distribution Days are a meaningful way to take action, build connections, and make a tangible difference.
Spots are limited. Sign up early to be part of this impactful experience.
To volunteer or request more information, please contact events@hopeandcomfort.org
Friday, October 10 | 8:00 – 10:00 AM | Hope & Comfort Hygiene Hub, Needham, MA
Join us for a powerful and uplifting morning as we close out Massachusetts’ second annual Hygiene Insecurity Awareness Week with purpose, connection, and collective action.
The Hygiene for All Breakfast brings together community leaders, advocates, and supporters who believe that everyone deserves access to the basic hygiene essentials that allow us to live with dignity, attend school, go to work, and stay healthy.
Enjoy a delicious breakfast spread while hearing from an inspiring panel of speakers working at the forefront of health equity, housing, education, and basic needs access. You'll leave informed, energized, and ready to be part of the solution.
This event is a unique opportunity to gather with like-minded individuals, deepen your understanding of hygiene insecurity, and take meaningful steps toward lasting change.
Space is limited and demand is high — reserve your spot today.
Let’s close out the week by coming together and moving the mission forward.Panelists
Lauren Baker
CEO, The Wonderfund
Former First Lady of Massachusetts
Pablo Buitron de la Vega, MD, MSc
Assistant Professor, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Kevin Simon, MD, MPH
Chief Behavioral Health Officer,
City of Boston
Week of October 5-11 | Location of Your Choosing
Join us anytime during Hygiene Insecurity Awareness Week (October 5–12) for movement with meaning. Whether you walk, bike, run, or hike, we invite you to go 2.3 miles — symbolizing the 2.3 million people in Massachusetts who are struggling to access basic hygiene essentials.
This is more than just a walk. It’s a statement. Every mile moved helps raise awareness of a critical but often overlooked issue that affects school attendance, job security, health, and dignity.
Want to go further? Start a personal fundraising page or team up with friends and family. Every dollar raised will help us reach more people with the hygiene products they need to live with confidence and care.
Together, our small steps can make a big impact.
Let’s show up, speak out, and step up — one mile at a time.