A nonprofit that provides personal care items to families around Indianapolis has a new name. Dotted Line Divas is now Indy Hygiene Hub.
“The primary reason for rebranding as Indy Hygiene Hub was because the name Dotted Line Divas had been based on the extreme couponing that we used since the beginning of the organization to stock our hygiene pantry,” said Stacy Mtshali, community coordinator of Indy Hygiene Hub. “Unfortunately, this name is no longer relevant for us because we cannot rely on coupons like we once could. We want it to be easy for both supporters and especially our community members in need to be able to identify and locate us.”
Christina Huffines founded the organization 10 years ago using extreme couponing she had learned to help get her own family through hard times. She partnered with Carmel’s Mercy Road Church as the organization grew, teaching her couponing skills to others and stocking a pantry full of items that way.
“One of the surprising effects of the pandemic was the impact on the supply chain and manufacturing for businesses. When businesses are struggling to get items produced and transported and there is a high demand for them, they have no motivation or real reason to offer coupons,” Mtshali said. “And that hit us hard. The beauty is that we now all value and appreciate accessibility to toilet paper after the last couple of years! Sadly, our recipients are still struggling to access it without the support of our hygiene pantry because prices on such items have only climbed, and coupons can no longer be relied upon.”
Mtshali said the rebranding is almost like starting fresh in many ways.
“Because coupons aren’t stocking the pantry, we need donor support more than ever before,” she said. “Our shelves are getting emptier and emptier, so we really need even greater support from the community going forward.”
Through a partnership with Food 4 Souls, Indy Hygiene Hub will soon be able to also assist with a mobile shower.
“Many of our neighbors living on the streets express the desire to simply get clean. Now, they will be able to come have a meal, optionally take a shower on the spot (with hygiene items donated by us) and then also go away with a bag of brand-new hygiene items,” Mtshali said. “These hygiene items are not found at most food pantries, not provided by most government programs (such as SNAP “food stamps” or WIC), and yet are vital for daily living. And this shower could open doors to jobs and will certainly contribute to better health for those who desperately need it.”
Indy Hygiene Hub’s primary fundraiser, the annual Bubble Bash gala, is set for March 11 at West Fork Whiskey in Westfield.
“Those ticket sales, silent auction funds and event donations will take us much closer to our fundraising goal for the year. However, we are always looking for sponsors for the families that visit our pantry,” Mtshali said. “It only costs us $120 to provide basic hygiene and cleaning items to a family for one year. We serve 200 to 300 families on a monthly basis, and yet we only have a handful of family sponsorships currently.”
Additionally, the community can help by collecting in-kind donations through a hygiene product drive or by hosting one of the organization’s collection bins at their place of business.
“You can even support IHH without it costing you a penny, simply by linking your Kroger Card to our nonprofit or by coming to volunteer with us at a pantry day,” Mtshali said.
To learn more, visit indyhygienehub.org.
