Advocates for Sacramento’s unhoused community are launching a Black hygiene drive.
The drive, organized by the Community Lead Advocacy Program, or CLAP, is collecting essential oils and other skin and hair care products tailored to Black residents and donating them to local homeless shelters.
More than 30% of Sacramento County’s unhoused population is Black according to Sacramento Steps Forward, a nonprofit organization which tracks homelessness across the region. That’s a disproportionate share given Black residents make up just 11% of the county’s overall population.
Advocate Faye Wilson Kennedy says the products like hair oils, grease and Afro picks aren’t just beauty products, they’re critical to staying healthy.
“Unlike a lot of folks, Black folks or people of African descent, we need oils, essential oils, to care for our hair and our skin,” she said. “Because if they don’t, individuals can start scratching so hard that they can break the skin and then it causes other challenges.”
Wilson says the lack of these products at local shelters means Black unhoused residents might be less likely to seek out job interviews to get back on their feet.
“If we’re going to make a difference and improve the lives of Black unhoused folks, the first step is addressing their health needs, as well as their mental health needs,” she added.
Supplies will be donated to shelters on the first of each month, and the program kicked off in June. You can find information on donating supplies at the Community Lead Advocacy Program website.
Sacramento officials plan to release a new estimate for the county’s overall homeless population later this week.
Contact CapRadio news reporter Chris Nichols at [email protected]
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