Boston, MA Plumbers & Gasfitters Local 12 and the Greater Boston Plumbing Contractors Association have teamed up with several plumbing industry organizations to provide “hygiene buckets” containing hair care and feminine products, dental and shaving kits and other items to men and women living at two city shelters.

Union plumbers from Local 12 joined the Greater Boston PCA as well as the The Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association, the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials and the International Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Foundation to provide hygiene kits to 200 men and women living at Rosie’s Place and the Pine Street Inn. The recent donation was part of a new program launched by IWSH in January in Key West, Florida, that aims to provide essential hygiene items to people in underserved communities who may not be able to afford them.

“The Hygiene Bucket Challenge offers a chance for the plumbing industry to improve hygiene access for unhoused and low-income residents in their own community,” said Robyn Fischer, IWSH senior director for North America. “In a city where 5,200 people live without shelter and about 18% of the residents live below the poverty line, this project allows our plumbing community to give back and create impact. The Hygiene Bucket Challenge shows how small, doable actions can make a big difference in people’s lives.”

IWSH, the charitable arm of IAPMO, focuses on directing resources of the plumbing industry to provide social impact in underserved communities and those struggling with water and sanitation access. The kits were purchased by volunteers and put together at Local 12’s headquarters in Dorchester. The kits were delivered in Local 12’s Plumbers 911 van.

“We were proud to have participated in the Hygiene Bucket Challenge,” Local 12 business manager Tim Fandel said. “Our members work in our neighborhoods every day and understand the importance of access to sanitary products and clean water. We are happy we were able to do our part to help IWSH in this important effort.”

“Keeping our communities healthy is a key mission of the plumbing industry,” said Greater Boston PCA executive director Andrew DeAngelo. “We all have to do our part to help vulnerable populations and it was an honor to play a part in providing so many men and women here in Boston with the essentials they need.”