Essentials First

Essentials First was founded in 2017 as a 501c3 nonprofit organization under the name, Kits for Peace. The organization has been providing hygiene and warmth kits to several populations including those experiencing homelessness living in shelters and outside. It also expanded its services to support low-income households at risk of homelessness by working with dozens of community providers who serve them. To date, nearly 30,000 kits (about 300,000 hygiene and support items) have been distributed to a growing number of people unable to afford these products in the Puget Sound area. In 2020, the pandemic exposed an alarming gap of access to hygiene support, especially among low-income households and those experiencing financial instability. After completing a needs assessment, our board of directors voted to grow our mission to provide these items and help close the gap. We are working to establish the necessary relationships to procure millions of hygiene items in bulk to be distributed through a network of food banks and nonprofits in WA State. Currently, we are undertaking a pilot program to understand how best to scale up hygiene distribution to the most underserved populations in our neighbourhoods and the state, utilizing existing food banks.