The Need

In just its first year of operation, the small Twin Cities nonprofit Bridge to Basics has already done fantastic work in the community. Its mission is simple: providing hygiene products to nonprofits, so they can stay focused on their own missions.

“Their name tells you exactly what they do,” says Jason Kroll, a personal banker at Bell Bank in Woodbury, Minn. “They’re the bridge to the nonprofits that need the toothbrushes, that need the deodorants, that need the shampoos.”

Rana Khoury, Bridge to Basics founder and co-executive director, says her organization bridges the gap in hygiene access for individuals and families. Hygiene insecurity is similar to food insecurity, in that there are places where people have difficulty accessing hygiene.

“It’s something so small, right?” Rana says. “It’s just being able to be clean, but it’s such an important thing for our self-esteem.”

The Impact

Jason says the first time Rana visited the bank, he felt an immediate connection to her and the mission of Bridge to Basics. With the bank branch ready to celebrate its 10th anniversary in Woodbury, Jason saw an opportunity to “not just talk the talk, but to really walk the walk.”

He asked Rana if the organization would like to partner on a hygiene drive – and at Bell, that effort went into overdrive.

“I had no expectation that we would even use Pay It Forward funds,” Jason explains. “To see the outpouring immediately from the staff, it snowballed into where we are today.”

When one customer said he wanted to contribute, Jason assumed the man would bring in a donation of toothbrushes or toothpaste. “He actually brought us a check for $1,000,” Jason says.

Wanting to match the generous gift, Jason created a “pool” opportunity that quickly raised $2,250. Jason had fun presenting the funds to Bridge to Basics.

“I had an envelope that had $1,000 written on it,” he says. Noting that “we like to do things really big at Bell Bank,” he then brought out a second envelope with $1,000 – followed by an additional envelope containing $1,250.

“It was just such a feel-good moment,” he recalls.

For Rana, it’s amazing not only to have Bell Bank trust its team members as stewards of paying it forward, but in turn to have those employees support and trust her organization as “a good steward of their dollar.”

Pay It Forward allows employees to make a commitment and make a difference – just as Bridge to Basics is committed to using the smallest items to make a big difference for those who need it most.

Through the Pay It Forward program, Bell gives employees money each year to donate to people in need and causes they care about.