About The Kindness Closet

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Founded in 2018, The Kindness Closet is dedicated to addressing hygiene poverty throughout North Carolina. Hygiene poverty is the inability to afford everyday essentials—items such as deodorant, soap, toothpaste, feminine products, toilet paper, shampoo, and laundry detergent—that are not covered by government assistance programs.

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While many local food banks and social service agencies support families in need, they often lack a consistent supply of basic household and hygiene goods. The Kindness Closet exists to fill this critical gap. Our mission is to restore dignity, support health, and strengthen communities by ensuring that no one has to go without the hygiene essentials that many take for granted.

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Today, we have grown from small grassroots, community effort into a regional nonprofit serving children, families, and individuals across Iredell County and surrounding counties. We partner with schools, early childhood programs, health clinics, community centers, and other nonprofits to distribute thousands of hygiene and period products each month—meeting people where they are and delivering resources directly into the hands of those who need them most.

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Our work includes:

• Hygiene Product Distribution: Supplying essential hygiene items to community partners and families experiencing financial hardship.

• Period Equity Initiatives: Providing ongoing period supplies with our school-based program called the Red Cart Project, helping students remain confident and present in the classroom.   Supporting new mothers and women in community who are struggling to access the menstrual supplies they need each month.

• Community & Youth Engagement: Offering packing events, volunteer opportunities, and service projects for families, student groups, churches, and businesses.

• Emergency Response Capacity: When disasters impact Western North Carolina, we mobilize quickly to provide household and hygiene relief kits that promote safety and recovery.

 

We believe that dignity is a fundamental human right. Research shows that while medical care plays an important role, many health outcomes are largely influenced by non-medical factors such as environment, behavior, and social conditions. Access to basic hygiene supplies is essential for well-being, academic success, and stability.

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Through kindness, collaboration, and community engagement, we work every day to remove barriers, reduce stigma, and help our neighbors live healthier, more confident lives.