Packaging donation soap for homeless shelter?

[grassyriver]

I have lots of bars of soap that are either too lightly scented or a little ugly in some way. I contacted a local homeless shelter and they said they would like the donation but were sparse on any details. How would you package soap for donation? I was considering cutting larger bars in half so they would go to more people. I want to wrap them nicely and label them with ingredients but I was just wondering if anyone had any ideas? My husband said to just use a regular label but I don't want to seem like I'm trying to drum up business with my website on there.

 

[DeeAnna]

If my soap is going to the public even as a gift or a free sample, I feel obligated to label my soap just as I normally would for safety and accountability -- ingredients list, my name, address, etc. Only thing I wouldn't worry about would be net weight, since the soap isn't being sold. I don't see this as hawking for business -- it's being business-like and professional. I would make sample sized bars, which are half the size of my regular bars.

 

[Susie]

The last time I donated soap to a shelter, they asked for "hotel sized" bars. They had a rule about keeping used soap or something. I did not package it, I did label the box with all ingredients.

 

[shunt2011]

I do the same as Susie though they take full size bars at the facilities I donate to. They may cut them though.

 

[DeeAnna]

I like Susie's idea of labeling just the box that contains a bunch of soap bars. That would work really well! I usually give my samples to friends and family, so that's the mindset I had when I wrote my first reply.

 

[grassyriver]

Thank you for your suggestions. I ended up cutting the bars in half, wrapping and putting a small sticker label with just ingredients and scent name on each one. I had several different recipes in there so I figured I needed to specify what each one is.

 

[dixiedragon]

FTR, I think you would have been fine to have your logo, etc on there. Does Kraft remove their logo when they donate Mac 'n cheese? Nope.

 

[earlene]

My eldest son has stayed in homeless shelters in the past and I can almost guarantee you he never even read the label on the soap they gave him (if they gave him soap). Of course some people would read the label I suppose, but I don't think leaving out your business information is necessary unless you WANT your donation to be anonymous. In that case, sure. But if you don't care one way or the other if the consumer knows where the soap came from, by all means leave the business information on there. I doubt anyone would think you were trying to 'drum up business' from the homeless and destitute.

Besides, the soap given out at the homeless shelter could just as easily come from someone other than yourself who bought the soap and never used it, therefore the business information would still be on the soap.

 

[grassyriver]

That makes perfect sense Dixie and Earlene! I tend to over think everything in an effort to not offend anyone. (I have bad anxiety) I'm grateful to have never been in that position but I do have cousins that have been in a similar situation as your son. I'm sure they didn't care about the label either.