In Bulloch County, The Button is making significant strides to help local children by addressing hygiene poverty. Hygiene poverty is the inability to afford basic hygiene products such as soap, toothpaste and deodorant. By providing access to these essentials, The Button ensures that children can focus on their education and social lives without the burden of basic hygiene-related concerns. This support is especially vital for children at risk of bullying, educational disruptions, and mental health challenges tied to hygiene insecurity.

About The Button

The Button, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has operated in Bulloch County since March 2022. Powered by community volunteers — including board members, Service League participants, and local sororities — The Button partners with the Bulloch County school system to provide hygiene bags to students in need. Currently serving middle and high school students, the organization plans to expand to elementary schools in the future to ensure every child in the county has access to hygiene products.

Founder Liz Corbett shared the nonprofit’s impact: “We’ve had over 1,000 students use The Button, and of those collectively, they have made 3,000 requests.” 

These requests, submitted anonymously via a web link found on each school’s homepage, allow students to discreetly request items using only their lunch number.

“One of the inspirations behind the name of the organization comes from the link that students click on to make a request because it works almost like a ‘magic button’ for them,” Corbett said, adding that the name also ensures confidentiality, avoiding any embarrassment associated with asking for help.

Through an online form, students can choose from 20 hygiene items, with an “other” section to request additional needs. Volunteers assemble these customized bags three days a week and deliver them to the schools within two days of the request, where counselors distribute them discreetly. Twice a year, The Button also provides larger hygiene bags for school counselors to distribute to flagged students in need.

“It should be a human right to have the ability to be clean and eat,” Corbett said, emphasizing the importance of the mission. 

Each hygiene bag costs about $20 to assemble and may include soap, toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, feminine hygiene items and, when possible, detergent. Since its inception, The Button has distributed over 57,000 hygiene products, highlighting the community’s significant need for this service.

Holiday giving

The Button’s year-round fight against hygiene poverty intensifies during the holiday season. To support students during their two-week winter break, The Button will host a Christmas hygiene bag packing event on December 10 at 6 p.m. at the Kiwanis Community Building, located at the Kiwanis Ogeechee Fairgrounds. Volunteers are invited to help pack 1,200 hygiene bags — triple the number distributed in past years. These holiday bags will be delivered to students on December 11 and December 12, ensuring their hygiene needs are met during the break.

In addition, community members can contribute by donating hygiene items at various collection sites around town, including:

• The Button’s office (515 Denmark Street, Suite 2500)

• Visit Statesboro (222 South Main Street)

• Dish & Lily 

• Merle Norman 

Businesses interested in becoming a collection site can contact the organization at 2022.thebutton@gmail.com.

Current needs and community partnerships

An Amazon wishlist allows supporters to purchase needed items online for direct delivery to The Button. Soap remains one of the most requested items, with over 450 student requests logged. Corbett emphasized the importance of donations, especially during the holidays, and highlighted unique community partnerships, such as a collaboration with the Daily Grind coffee shop. Right now, patrons who donate two deodorants receive a free small coffee, blending holiday cheer with philanthropy.

By supporting The Button through donations, volunteering, or spreading awareness, residents of Bulloch County can help ensure every child has access to essential hygiene products. To learn more about the organization or upcoming events, follow The Button on Facebook and Instagram.