Oak Park library partners to offer free toiletries to kids & families

The Oak Park Public Library is partnering with the Oak Park Township to offer free personal hygiene supplies for youth at the library. Kids and their families can help themselves to soap, shampoo and conditioner, toothbrushes and toothpaste, floss, deodorant, lotion, and menstrual products. The supplies are located inside a small latched cabinet in the wheelchair-accessible bathroom in the Main Library Children's Services area.

"Deodorant, lotion, and toothbrushes have been especially popular," says Elementary School Services Librarian Genevieve Grove, whose team is restocking some items almost every day.

The free toiletries are being supplied by Oak Park Township's Youth and Family Services, thanks to community donations.

"We have had a great community response when we have put out calls for donations," says Oak Park Township Director of Youth and Family Services Megan Traficano. "We are so fortunate to live in a community that is willing to provide these supplies to youth."

'We want to make sure hygiene supplies are easily accessible'

Traficano says the topic of hygiene supplies has come up often in groups and individual sessions between Township staff and youth in the community. "This can be a difficult subject to speak about and we want to make sure that hygiene supplies are easily accessible," she adds.

The Township's Youth and Family Services team already runs a Hygiene Closet at the Township offices, 105 S. Oak Park Ave., where youth can come and get basic personal care and hygiene supplies for free. To spread the word and make supplies more accessible, the Township started looking into stocking more locations last spring.

"We thought of the Oak Park Public Library as a natural partner for us, as so many youth are involved in library activities after school, on the weekends, and during breaks," Traficano said, adding that Township and library staff already collaborate in different ways to meet the needs of youth and families in the community.

Read more on the library's website ยป

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