How to make and use an essentials box

What is an Essentials Box?

It’s a box filled with items people may need for their emotional or physical wellbeing and/or study that’s available to those that need it on a one-off or more regular basis.

Why use an Essentials Box?

Increasingly school pupils; college and university students; and academic staff across schools, colleges and universities may be struggling with poverty and precarity. Key items like toothpaste, sanitary wear, or non-perishable food items might be beyond their budget. When used correctly an Essentials Box is a non-judgemental, free, and easily accessible intervention people can use to obtain things that improve the quality of their lives; and increase their comfort and confidence, plus access to education and work.

What to check before you use an Essentials Box?

As the idea of Essentials Boxes spreads across education, it is important to reflect. This saves waste, avoids creating distress, and ensures that if a box is needed it serves the right people with items they genuinely need.  Ask yourself….

Is this needed?

Have people indicated to you they would like assistance, or have you observed situations where you feel practical help is needed? Examples of this might include the Student’s Union requesting free sanitary products in campus toilets; noticing a pupil always comes to school without having had breakfast; or a student repeatedly asking for stationery. If you are aware there is a need you might follow this up with an anonymous and sensitively worded questionnaire sent to parents/students/staff asking if there are any specific things they might require. Or raise it as a topic during departmental meetings, training days, or staff/student committees. 

Who is it for?

Essentials Boxes within education may be used in a variety of ways for a diverse group of users. In primary and secondary schools this might include pupils, parents and staff. In colleges and universities it may include students and all campus staff, plus their families. Ex students may also request assistance. If you are offering an Essentials Box it is usually reserved for members of a school, college or university only. However educational institutions can also fundraise, collect and donate for the wider community where needed.

Are there any barriers to use?

As with any intervention there will always be barriers and considering these prior to starting an Essentials Box service is important. Barriers include

• Stigma and shame. Many people facing hardship/living in poverty feel embarrassed or upset in having to ask for or accept help. Negative media coverage and unkind comments from other people may leave those needing assistance feeling like they have failed or are faking their situation. Some people hate the idea of feeling (or being made to feel) like a ‘charity case’.

• Being singled out. If those that may need additional assistance are already feeling uncomfortable or self-conscious, having others made aware of situations they are trying to keep private can cause more distress. This may include pupils being given soap in front of peers, or a student called behind after class with everyone knowing they can’t afford to go on a field trip.

• Conditions attached to use. Essentials Boxes should come with minimal conditions (see below for more on this). Meaning anyone that needs them should be able to use them. Feeling like you can only access them if a particular teacher likes you, or if you’re asked to ‘be good’ in receipt of an item is both counterproductive and contravenes safeguarding procedures. Older students may feel uncomfortable their tutors know they are needing assistance, or might be uncertain if refusing help might affect their grades or relationship with a tutor. Different items may be deemed more personal depending on a person’s culture, faith or experiences which, for example, might make accepting sanitary wear from a man teacher difficult for a woman student.

• Trust issues. Accepting help isn’t always easy and requires you to trust the person offering help is genuine, that you won’t be penalised or exploited for using a service, that you won’t be identified (see above), or mocked. Those who’ve experienced abuse or exploitation may find it especially difficult to trust and may wish to use an Essentials Box without anyone knowing.

• Lack of awareness. We all want to help and an Essentials Box is a great way to show we care. Thinking about why we want assist is vital so we don’t cause alarm, perpetuate harm, or increase distress. Knowing who needs to use a service and why, and adapting it to ensure it reaches all that need it are important questions to ask. Discontinuing a service if it doesn’t work or isn’t used is important. Questioning our motivation so we don’t appear patronising is good. As might be challenging the idea that offering assistance is an intrusion and therefore doing nothing when people require help.  

• Not knowing where to find the Essentials Box. If resources are not advertised or aren’t where they should be, people aren’t going to know they can access them. This also applies to making clear who can use an Essentials Box as people may assume they aren’t allowed to make use of the service when it is there for them.

• Lack of sustained support. Too often a person has the great idea to create an Essentials Box, but they can’t afford to continue to stock it, or it is misused (see below), or they lose interest or leave. This can be particularly difficult if students or staff have come to rely on the service being there. Thinking about how it will work and who can run it (see below) is a necessary step before you begin.

Can I learn from good practice elsewhere?

Many organisations already operate similar programmes – Food Banks and Soup Kitchens offer assistance on a larger scale. Charities and Faith Groups also provide support. Asking what they do, what they provide, who uses their services, and how they manage this can give you a clearer idea about supporting your specific school/college community. It may be they already offer appropriate assistance students/staff can be signposted to.

Where should the box be located?

There are many places to locate Essentials Boxes or essential products. Options have included:

• In a place people already collect stuff from (e.g. student union, first aid, chaplaincy, careers advice, staff room, library).

• In or outside a designated area – for example by student pigeonholes, in a student café, or pupil dining hall.

• In toilets or changing rooms (particularly for sanitary towels and toiletries).

• With a trusted and approachable member of staff – for example the chaplaincy, school/college counsellor, guidance or student welfare team. 

It may help to have more than one location (so sanpro might be kept in the first aid room and toilets; a collection point of packaged foods in the student union or outside the school reception; or stationery in the library).  Based on who you know needs help will influence where your Essentials Box is located and if anyone presides over it. Some students/staff will prefer nobody to be aware of their using the service, other people won’t mind being seen taking items, and others might want to request an item as a means to discussing a deeper issue (more on this later).

Who will replenish the box, and how often?

Having a key person in charge of an Essentials Box service is important for two reasons. Firstly it means what is being given out can be noted. If, for example, there’s an increased demand for food it might indicate an issue the school/college needs to be aware of. It can also avoid lots of people having the same idea but not necessarily implementing the service well (see above and below) and allows for a coordination of services and the ability to request assistance/donations from other places (e.g. asking a local store for a donation of tinned food, or a stationery company for extra pens, or signing the school up to a sanpro donation service). It may be one or more people do this job based on the size of your organisation and whoever is doing it needs time to make it work and have said work recognised and respected. That involves identifying and reviewing items for Essentials Boxes, stocking and replenishing them, and keeping notes on what is donated/used.  Whoever has this role also needs a trained up replacement if the service is to continue after they leave or during periods of absence or holidays.

How will people know where the box is and how to use it?

An email, poster, message during an assembly or other meeting, clearly defined place (or places) where essentials can be found, and letting everyone know to pass on details of where boxes can be found can be effective – but again consider which of these works best for your particular educational community. In some schools pupils have asked for an Essentials Box and have helped decorate boxes and made signs indicating where they are. In other places it has been a more discreet endeavour with guidance leads/college counsellors telling pupils where a box can be found or giving out items as needed to students they regularly advise.

Ideas for stocking an Essentials Box

• Toiletries and grooming – soap, shampoo and conditioner, deodorant, shower gel, bubble bath, body lotion, makeup remover, moisturiser, nail polish remover, talcum powder, baby wipes, toothpaste and brushes, combs and hairbrushes, hair bobbles/ties, sanitary towels and tampons.

• Stationery – pens (particularly if the school requires particular colours – black, blue, purple, red or green), pencils (including colouring pencils), sharpeners, erasers, rulers, calculators, notepads (plain and lined), printer paper, envelopes, glue sticks.

• Food – biscuit bars, packet soups, mini cereal boxes, instant hot drinks sachets, pot noodles, tinned fruit, vegetables, soups, beans and spaghetti. (Focus on new/unopened items within a sell by date, and if need heating that can be made on a mini stove or with a kettle). Fruit (particularly apples, bananas, pears. Noting and avoiding fruits that may be more likely to cause allergies, e.g. strawberries).

• Clothing – new underwear (knickers/pants, tights, socks, vests); plus second hand coats; donated uniform (trousers, shirts, skirts; ties, blazers); pre loved smart clothing for interviews (jackets, trousers, skirts); hats, scarves, gloves.

As you can see from this list some of these items are small enough to fit into a box. Others are larger and may need to be stored elsewhere (for example a uniform cupboard or clothing rack). Some are more expensive than others so it may be instead of donating a calculator you arrange for them to be borrowed in class. It is crucial that any item needed for examinations and assessments are always available in case students have forgotten or misplaced or couldn’t afford items. Reminding students in advance what they need and making it clear those that don’t have these items can request them or borrow some allows for pupils to take control of their learning.  Often students living in poverty or precarious or risky situations either have other things to worry about (meaning a missing pen is the least of their problems); get very distressed if told off for something outside their control (e.g. a child whose parents lack a washing machine being shouted at for a dirty sweater); are struggling to focus meaning they miss essential items (for example not remembering to bring a notebook to class); or are going without at home so they aren’t in a position to start their day well (e.g. no food for breakfast). We often complain about pupils lacking resilience or get angry if they forget or don’t own items, rather than encouraging them to use support services and plan ahead so they can ask if they need something. This only works if we can be compassionate and non judgemental and within fraught and under funded academic spaces that is often a challenge.

Making your Essentials Box inclusive

As ever with the Research Companion we begin by asking ‘who am I bringing in? who am I leaving out?’. An Essentials Box that makes people feel they can get a key item may be reassuring and comforting. However, there are still questions to be asked to ensure we meet the needs of the right people at the right time in appropriate, ethical and empathetic ways.

Go back to the ideas for stocking an Essentials Box and think about who it might help, but equally could leave out? In other locations where boxes have been used this includes stocking scented soaps which aren’t usable by those with allergies and sensitivities. Or shampoo that is not suitable for Black hair. Or food that contains nuts, shellfish, or other items that might cause allergies or be off limits to particular faiths or dietary needs.  Knowing who will be using your Essentials Box and inviting feedback on it helps check you’re reaching all who need it (you can do this either via open conversation about the service if it’s built into your school/college wellbeing plan or privately by a dedicated email).  Rather than making a one-off rule, it’s good to consider diversity. Going back to a highly scented product which might cause allergies or be difficult for students/staff with sensory issues a non-scented product could be ideal. But other students/staff with limited access to cleaning facilities who’re self conscious about how they might smell equally may want a scented product for increased confidence. Having choices helps. But here you may also need to monitor this – in one college they found the conditioner for Black hair was often taken by white students who loved the scent and feel of the product but could have easily used another conditioner in the Essentials Box.

Ask yourself who is benefitting from the Essentials Box? Is it something that remains proudly on show but is never used? Does it look like you’re addressing deeper issues of poverty and risk to students and staff while no other action is taken to support their needs? Is it filled with items you think are nice but aren’t necessarily what other people would want? Might some of the items seem patronising? (for example providing older pupils with pencils with cartoon characters on – it might be they love it but equally they may hate it).

Don’t impose the Essentials Box or items in it on anyone. It’s appropriate to make it clear what items are available and where, and to suggest people might want to help themselves. Making the box seem both inviting and a matter of fact part of school/college is helpful.  If you are concerned about a pupil or colleague you could alert them to the box or get an item from it for them. For example a pupil that always comes in hungry and is falling asleep in lessons may appreciate you asking if they would like a biscuit or brunch bar. Or a colleague with unpleasant body odour might appreciate learning there is a box of toiletries available for all staff in the staff toilets.

What not to include

Schools, colleges and universities may have items that are already off limits. That might include foodstuffs known to cause allergies; sprays (e.g. perfumes and deodorants); razors; highly scented products; or items containing pork or beef ingredients. Adhering to these rules is vital.

Common sense is also a good idea. I learned the hard way in one college that mini shower gels are also fun to squirt at friends at the bus stop! Razors or sharp items in schools are generally a no-no unless supervised (and not always permitted then). For school age pupils items that would not be allowed at home should not be encouraged in school unless it’s part of a specific safeguarding agreement made with other specialist services. 

Do not include money in Essentials Boxes. You can put vouchers, tokens or other items in there but these may be better organised by individual donation to those most in need, supervised by guidance teachers, counsellors, finance departments or the chaplaincy team.

Concerns over misuse

It’s good to be cautious about Essentials Boxes, but also to question what our concerns might be telling us about how we view those who’ll be using the boxes.  It is appropriate to be worried that those that aren’t in need might take things those in crisis want. Equally it’s not always clear who is ‘most deserving’. There may be the worry items will be wasted or thrown away (see my shower gel example above). Or that one person might take too much, leaving little for others. If boxes are very popular they may be difficult to affordably sustain. 

There might also be a worry over creating dependency. This might be appropriate – for example a senior school pupil that could easily afford stationary and is known not to be facing any other difficult circumstances not being bothered to remember their pens. Equally it may be we wrongly believe poverty or precarious situations are temporary and easily fixed, so those continuing to use Essentials Boxes through real need are judged for requiring help as inadequate support is available elsewhere. This may be especially uncomfortable for us to consider if we are working in organisations or cultural systems that are enacting austerity measures or penalising those that are poor, or struggling with other problems outside their control.

Essentials Boxes must always fit within a framework of safeguarding. They cannot be used to coerce, extort, exploit or shame.  If you are planning on using an Essentials Box but aren’t aware of your safeguarding policies it is a good idea to learn these before you begin. If you have a whole-school or university approach to wellbeing, work with those involved in the programme to fit your Essentials Box into the framework. Again, using organisations already offering support (see above) can help you know what to do – and not to do.

It’s not just about boxes….

If you offer an Essentials Box (or boxes) you should be prepared for them to uncover many more issues. Their use or the conversations that occur around them (including requests for help or additional items) may reveal greater levels of poverty than you were aware of; identify students or colleagues who are at risk or in crisis; indicate mental or physical health problems; highlight relationship and family difficulties (including coercive control, sexual, financial, emotional, or physical abuse); undiagnosed or unmet learning needs or other disabilities or chronic illnesses; or stories of people’s home lives that are concerning. Thinking about what might arise, what help is available for those in need, how you’ll signpost them to it, and how you can give support to those offering support/running your Essentials Box all needs considering prior to setting up this service plus regularly reviewing while it is in operation.

Some anonymised examples that have been observed by others offering Essentials Boxes include

• A pupil who asked for soap, then in conversation revealed they had no access to safe washing facilities in the hotel room they were temporarily living in with their family. Teachers made their staff shower available twice a week during lunchtimes for the pupil to use with clean towels, shower gel and deodorant left for them. Busy lunchtimes meant no other pupils were aware this was going on.

• A parent asked the head teacher for help as their son had torn their coat too badly for repair and they could not afford another. The teacher gave them a coat their own child had grown out of, and checked if more clothes would be welcome. They were and these were passed on. It allowed a conversation with parents who were put in touch with the Foodbank.

• Staff noticed a change when their colleague who had previously taken a lot of pride in their appearance started to wear the same clothing which began to look dirty and smell. A team member who always got on well with the colleague asked them if they were okay. They revealed they had escaped a violent family situation and had only been able to take a small bag of clothes with them that they now struggled to keep clean due to a lack of a washing machine where they lived.  The chaplaincy had a crisis fund available to the staff member who got some new clothes, while her colleague offered to help with laundry in the short term, which was gratefully accepted.

• A supervisor noticed their student was taking food and other items from the departmental Essentials Box. They were surprised as they believed the student’s funding was more than adequate, and concerned this might not be the case. Sensitive questioning about the student’s situation revealed they were sending money back to their family, meaning they had very little of their funding to live off once rent had been paid. The student continued to use the Essentials Box on a temporary basis, along with support from their faith community (who also weren’t aware of the situation).  Wider conversations happened with the student about their use of their funding and the demands being placed on them by their family which was causing them a great deal of stress.

• Every year a school encourages pupils to donate used, good quality, laundered uniform. These are checked and families known to be in need are prioritised first, given the uniforms without having to pay. The remaining uniform is sold at reasonable prices, raising money for the school and reducing clothing waste.  Similar ventures have been tried in universities where, at the end of the academic year, books, clothing, cookwear and crockery and unopened food that hasn’t passed the sell by date, are donated for future students to access or for local charities to use or sell.

• School pupils made posters and asked their friends and teachers to bring in clean onesies and nightwear, hats, scarves and coats after a foodbank noted these were in demand.

• A Student’s Union organised a collection of instant drinks, soups and pot noodles for a homeless charity.

• Teachers organised a rota to run a daily breakfast club where all pupils who wanted to could access the club and enjoy toast and tea before school. Funded by PTA and staff donations and meant pupils whose parents worked, who couldn’t afford breakfast or were anxious about the start of school could have a comfortable start to the day.

• A librarian who asked for unwanted books to be dropped off, and created a ‘help yourself’ area where free books could be picked up (and a donation left if desired).

• Lecturers and postgraduate researchers collected pens, notepads, soaps, shampoos and other toiletries from hotels and conference venues which they put into a box by the departmental student pigeonholes.

• A guidance tutor noted many pupils would take drinks sachets from the Essentials Box. She brought in a range of drinks, mugs, and a kettle and held a weekly ‘cuppa and chatter’ during one lunchtime and one after school period where anyone who wanted to could drop in. Many students and some staff members used the opportunity to offload and make friends.

Final thoughts

These are some ideas about using Essentials Boxes. You can consider online options also where you might signpost students/staff and families to sources of support (e.g. Food Bank or Clothing Swap); list discount codes and vouchers; note where people can get discounted or low cost produce or other items; and connect people with things to share (e.g. books that can be posted).

If you’re using an Essentials Box, share your tips for making it work safely, effectively and humanely in the comments.

With thanks to Prof. Guilaine Kinouani of Race Reflections who raised questions about care packages and other student/staff support around ethics, accessibility and efficacy.