Posted on September 9, 2020

Last Sunday, as part of the Karsh Center’s on-going efforts to support our clients served at Sandwich Sunday at the People Concern in Santa Monica and in honor of Sukkot, the Karsh Center and Wilshire Boulevard Temple organized a hygiene kit drive, collecting more than 250 kits with essential hygiene items for our neighbors who are unhoused.

Each and every Sunday for nearly twelve years, we have taken care of our neighbors experiencing hunger and housing insecurity with our Sandwich Sunday lunch program at The People Concern in Santa Monica and we have continued to support and fund our program there through the pandemic. The hygiene kits collected will be used by the team at the People Concern to do additional outreach to vulnerable individuals who are experiencing homelessness. 

This drive culminated with a drive-through drop-off during the Jewish festival of Sukkot, a holiday that expresses our gratitude for shelter and the harvest. Wilshire Boulevard Temple congregants rallied to assemble hundreds of kits including travel-sized toiletries such as soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, and toothpaste, as well as critical items such as hand sanitizer and masks. These items are always important, and we know all the more so during this pandemic. 

To everyone who prepared and shared hygiene kits, and to our friends at the People Concern who will get them into the hands of those in need–thank you!