Molina Donates Toiletries to New Hygiene Closet at Harlingen Shelter

07/31/2019

Molina Healthcare of Texas recently opened its first MolinaCloset in Harlingen. Loaves and Fishes is a shelter that was in desperate needof toiletries for individuals and families experiencing homelessness and foodinsecurity. Molina’s team stocked the closet with self-care necessitiesincluding deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo, bodywash, floss, and othertoiletries.

“We’re pleased that Molina Healthcare is supporting ourorganization with needed items for our guests,” said William Reagan, executivedirector of Loaves and Fishes. “A little help goes a long way for those weserve, and it’s great when local partners like Molina support our mission to beof service to others.”

Juan Rivera, Molina’s community engagement coordinator, saidhe usually stops by every month to see how the shelter is doing and what theyneed in order to help out. “We identify migrant families that need help, and wealso ask the coordinator what challenges and problems they are facing, and thisis something that was brought up,” Rivera said.

Molina will continue to help fill up the closet as needed. “Theinitial fill was donated by Molina Healthcare, and I went out and bought allthe toiletries, blankets, pill boxes, floss, toothpaste, and mouthwash,” hesaid. “It’s a partnership, and first and foremost it helps the communitybecause that is what we did it for. We know that we have a lot of low-incomefamilies in this area, and we know that they will benefit from this room, andhopefully, it will be something positive,” he said.

Reagan said he is very grateful for this new addition totheir organization. “We need hygiene products for our homeless people, andMolina Healthcare stocked up the closet and promised to keep it stocked, andthat will help us in the future,” he said. “We always had hygiene productsavailable, but we were more stressed regarding those products because wereceived so many asylum seekers over the last several months, so it comes at agood time,” he said.

Loaves and Fishes recently opened a second establishment inRaymondville and has opened a new mental health counseling center in theirHarlingen location.