Halfway through HCPP #2

Just over 2 months ago, I posted about our 2nd Annual Homeless Care Package Project starting November 1st. We’re about a month into our project, so I’m here with an update!

This year has definitely been different than last year I will say. However, it’s awesome to be able to see the evolution. Some differences this year from last year are:

• No Facebook fundraiser. As luck would have it, the day we started our 2022 project was also the same day Facebook decided they would no longer be doing “personal fundraisers”. My project, while for the community, is still considered personal since I am not an organization. Last year, our Facebook fundraiser accounted for 16% of our total donations, so not having it this year I think impacted us, even if only slightly.
• Partnership with CRTCT. Last year after not being able to hand out all of our bags to individuals on the street, I came across CRTCT’s East Hartford Family Shelter. I stopped by one day and dropped off 25-30 bags, and then as I was planning this year’s, I thought maybe working with them directly would be a great opportunity. Not only could I ensure that all bags were going towards people in need, I would also be able to curate the bags to the shelter’s needs. After speaking with them, it was decided that no changes were necessary and our bags would stay nearly the same. We will be donating almost all of our bags to them this year, with a handful still going to some individuals on the street near where I work and live that we see often.
• Donations from Glastonbury Newcomers’ & Neighbors club. I was able to connect with this club via CRTCT after they donated 10,000 pairs of socks in October! We set up a time to meet and they offered to donate the backpacks for this year’s project! This is not only a tremendous help, but also helps us to focus on other necessary items to include. They will also be accepting food/snack donations from the community that we’ll be able to include in our bags! One of the focuses of this club is to get the children involved, so they offered to help me pack and put together our bags before I deliver them to CRTCT. Using their connections, we will likely rent out a room at the local library which will give us the space we need to be able to knock it all out in one go!
• Front Page in the Hartford Courant. This is possibly the most mind-blowing this to me. I was interviewed and knew I was featured on their online site, but I had no idea I would be in the physical paper – let alone FRONT PAGE. It is an incredible feeling to see your face front and center. I did post about this amazing experience on our Facebook page.
• Donations from D’Eliana Public Market and Deli. I’m friends with the owner of this restaurant, and last year before they were officially opened, she contributed to our cause! This year since they’re finally opened, she printed out our 2022 Flyer and posted it by their registers for people checking out to see. She kept it up for about 2 weeks, and during that time raised $100 in donations!
• Less participation from the start. When I began last year’s project I promised full transparency, so this year is no different. By this time last year, we had received a lot more participation and individual donations than we have this year. Honestly, I was a little shocked to see this since so many people voted this to be an annual project after we concluded last year. However, I’ve been keeping the faith that this project will still be successful, because I know it will.
• Success in different ways. Since my goal last year was to provide for people on the streets in the winter, including winter apparel such as sweatshirts, gloves, beanies, and socks were a priority for me. Since I know the bags will be going to people in a warm shelter, I felt this was less necessary. I reached out to CRTCT to confirm, and they did let me know there was definitely a bigger need for hygiene items. So even though it was initially decided no changes to the bags needed to be made, I still did. The following items that were included in bags will not be included this year (unless someone purchases from our Amazon Wish List or we receive plenty of donations):
  • Thermal Blankets
  • Dental Kits
  • Face & Body Wipes – we included shampoo and body wash this year since I know those who receive bags will have access to water/showers
  • Dry Shampoo – same reason as above
  • Sweatshirts – this has been a predicament for me in all honesty. We’ve gotten enough donations to include some, but I think we’ll prioritize the gloves, beanies, and socks (all sold together in a set) over the sweatshirts. The prices for these items on Wholesale Sock Deals skyrocketed (more than double) compared to last year, and I don’t know that it would be feasible for us this year to do both. We will see when we do the wrap up post!

I do believe that we will continue to receive more donations over the course of the next few weeks, but even if we didn’t receive one more dollar, this year’s project is still a success. With the donations we’ve gotten so far, we have been able to purchase every single necessity item on our list:

• Hygiene Items
  • Toothbrushes
  • Toothpastes
  • Mouthwash
  • Body Wash
  • Shampoo
  • Combs
  • Deodorant
  • Lotion
  • Combs
  • Tissues
• First Aid
  • Gauze
  • Alcohol Wipes
  • Bandaids
  • First Aid Ointment/Burn Cream
• Feminine Care
  • Pads
  • Tampons

The only remaining items to get will be food/snack items, which will be dependent on how many GNN are able to provide, and the winter gear should we be in a good spot to purchase those.

Since Day 1 on November 1st, we have received a total of $809.57 donations (at the time of this posting).

After all things purchased, we’ve spent a total of $601.88. Not too shabby if you ask me!

If you feel called to contribute to our cause in any way, below are a variety of ways to do so:

• Follow our Facebook page and engage with our post/videos by liking, commenting, and sharing to get them out to a broader audience
• Share this post so more people are aware of our cause
• Donate via Cashapp – $BrittneyTraudt
• Donate via Venmo – @btraudt416
• Donate via Paypal – (first link)
• Purchase something from our Amazon Wish List
• Download our Free 2022 HCPP Flyer
• Download our Free 2021 Item List

Stay tuned to find out how our 2nd Annual Project ends, and in the meantime, make sure you follow us on Facebook so you don’t miss any updates between now and then! 🙂