Today is #GivingTuesday!
All across the country, organizations are rallying their communities during this season of giving. Since our founding in 2016, Project Ropa has empowered the lives of 40,000+ unhoused and low-income individuals and families and saved over 90,000 pounds of unwanted clothing from ending up in landfills.
Hygiene access is a public health issue. When even one person doesn’t have access to proper hygiene, the health of the entire community is at risk.
Project Ropa was started to help provide essential hygiene supplies to people experiencing homelessness. Many of the people we serve have only the clothes on their backs and have limited, if any, access to hand-washing facilities, bathrooms or showers.
For our unhoused neighbors, many of whom already have respiratory problems and compromised immune systems, “staying at home” during the pandemic is impossible. Since resuming our Mobile Hygiene Service in June and adding a Street Outreach Service for unhoused Veterans in October, we have significantly increased our impact. We had been serving 200 people a week — now we provide hygiene essentials to nearly 2,500 unhoused and low-income individuals and families a month.
As Los Angeles County experiences a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases, we are continuing to work on the frontlines of the pandemic, helping make sure that our unhoused neighbors have access to hygiene and sanitizing supplies, PPE and drinking water.
More than 66,000 men and women in Los Angeles County are now without housing, a number that is expected to soar in January when individuals and families financially crippled by the pandemic face the end of the temporary moratorium against evictions.
Today, and throughout our End of the Year Giving Campaign, we are calling on our supporters to help us reach an ambitious goal of raising $15,000.
On this Giving Tuesday, rally your community by clicking and sharing one of the links below. Your support will help protect the health of our communities and ensure we are able to provide COVID-19 prevention and hygiene essentials to thousands of additional people experiencing homelessness.
There are many ways you can support us today:
1.) Start a #GivingTuesday Fundraiser on Facebook. CREATE A FUNDRAISER
2.) Donate $1, $5, $25, $100 — any amount is incredibly important in helping us cover increased operating expenses tied to the pandemic. DONATE NOW
3.) Help stock our closet by donating men’s and women’s winter clothing and toiletries. Shop our wishlist on GOODdler here or email us to schedule a donation pickup or drop off.
4.) Share our social media posts! By doing so, you will amplify our message and let others know what we need. Here are the links to our social accounts: Instagram, Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook.
5.) Buy one of our limited-edition shirts from our Bonfire store here.
6.) Support us on Amazon by making Project Ropa your selected charity. Every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.com will generate a donation for us! HERE’S HOW:
1. Sign into smile.amazon.com on your computer or mobile browser.
2. On your first visit to AmazonSmile, you will be prompted to select an organization — search and select Project Ropa. http://smile.amazon.com/ch/81-
3. Bookmark smile.amazon.com so anytime you shop on Amazon you shop through AmazonSmile.
4. Start shopping!
I’m sure that you are receiving many requests for support during this difficult time. Whether you are hearing about us for the first time or have supported us from the beginning, we hope you will see the value in our work and donate whatever you can.
Your support will help ensure that we can continue to empower lives and reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other transmittable diseases.
Wishing you health and safety.
Happy holidays!
Best,
Caitlin Adler
Founder and Executive Director, Project Ropa