Author: Jane Kaufman
Swag Bagz Inc is a New York City 501(c)3 nonprofit that gifts bags of self-care items to women in need.
Swag Bagz volunteers fill reusable fabric tote bags with items such as scented soaps and sanitizers, hand lotions, lip balms, essential oil roll-ons and decorative pouches filled with menstrual supplies.
Bags are distributed to women, predominantly low-income and women of color, at stressful and challenging or celebratory times in their lives. Swag Bagz Inc gives bags to women at domestic violence and homeless shelters, women visiting abortion clinics, and women graduating from career training and substance abuse programs, among others. They include transgendered women, LGBTQ individuals, and gender-nonconforming recipients as well.
This generous organization partners with other non-profit groups to reach these women.
The aim of Swag Bagz is to care for recipients by helping them care for themselves, and see themselves as worth caring for. For a woman in need, having a few attractive, scented items just for herself can bring joy. Also, they help her feel seen, acknowledged, and deserving.
Certain scents, such as lavender, have been shown to affect mood, cognition, and socialization in positive ways. We all like “free stuff.” Why should Hollywood celebrities be the only ones to get swag bags?
To donate or learn more about this organization, visit https://swagbagzinc.org/
