The Essentials Collective Takes On Hygiene Poverty
For The Thousands In Need Across WA
Perth, 23.10.23: The Essentials Collective is calling on Western Australians to support the thousands in their community confronted with hygiene poverty, with the launch of its Collecting the Essentials campaign – a donation drive that provides essential personal hygiene and care items to locals in need.
More than 325,000 Western Australians (13%) live in poverty[1], including 85,000 children, and with rising costs of food, accommodation, transport and utilities, people facing disadvantage are increasingly having to make decisions between critical household expenses. Electricity is the most expensive utility, peaking during hot summer periods, and with this summer projected to be hotter than ever, the financial pressures faced by disadvantaged people across the state is only set to increase.
The Essentials Collective works to ease these pressures, by ensuring that every person, regardless of their demographic or circumstance, has access to the basics and the essentials.
From now until 30 November, people are invited to donate new and unopened toiletries like body wash, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, hairbrushes and razors, as well as sanitary items, to any of the more than 20 collection points across Perth.
Donated items are distributed throughout Western Australia to local crisis accommodation, drop-in centres and outreach services, with a focus on supporting people who are unhoused, experiencing mental illness, in need of crisis accommodation due to domestic violence, at-risk youth, and those who require drug and alcohol rehabilitation or refugee support.
Since The Essentials Collective was established in 2014, it has seen more than 228,000 items donated and distributed to more than 30 beneficiary partners across Western Australia. The majority of beneficiary partners are not funded for hygiene essentials, so campaigns like Collecting the Essentials are critical to supporting locals experiencing disadvantage.
For more information, including the locations of drop-off sites, visit The Essentials Collective website on: theessentialscollective.org.
ENDS
About The Essentials Collective: Since 2014, The Essentials Collective has been supporting the most vulnerable people in Western Australia by providing them with everyday essentials and basics. A people-powered organisation, the team is passionate about ending hygiene poverty in Western Australia and hosts two annual campaigns – Collecting the Basics and Collecting the Essentials.
Media Contact:
Ellen Slobe: hello@theessentialscollective.org.au or 0411 293 398
About us:
Since 2014, The Essentials Collective has been supporting the most vulnerable people in Western Australia by providing them with everyday essentials and basics. A people-powered organisation, the team is passionate about ending hygiene poverty in Western Australia and hosts two annual campaigns – Collecting the Basics and Collecting the Essentials.
Contact details:
Naomi Brooker, naomi@suada.com.au, 0421 008 746
