The Sports Media Members Donating Unused Toiletries To Homeless

Tina Sturdevant does extensive traveling for her role as senior manager of media and talent at Bleacher Report. Even though she would bounce from city to city and hotel room to hotel room, she remained particular about bringing her own toiletries. It was from all of these trips that spurred an idea — why not take the unused hotel toiletries and donate them to those in need? Sturdevant posted the suggestion on Instagram to her frequent flyer friends in the industry to follow suit.
To my frequent flyer friends: I’d like to encourage you to save your hotel toiletries as you travel. Here’s my stash just from the start of this year! A local organization may use these to provide care packages for those in need. In Vallejo, my mom works with the Christian Help Center, who provide personal care items for those that are homeless, in a halfway home, etc. in addition to services like resume help and teaching healthy eating habits. I know it’s not convenient to bring home more than you came with, but with minimal effort you can help those in need with something that is free to you.
A post shared by Tina Sturdevant (@tinasturdevant) on Jun 8, 2016 at 9:01am PDT
“For me, I’m happy to tell people about my experiences or provide options for them to donate close to home — shelters, local churches, etc — if they don’t want to send me their toiletries,” Sturdevant said.

Jim Trotter, an NFL reporter for ESPN, loved the idea and began mailing his toiletries to Sturdevant, who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. The items are combined with other donated goods and given to those in need as part of an initiative between Lighthouse Covenant Fellowship and Vallejo Together that provides haircuts, supplies, food and more to the local homeless population.

“Since then I’ve tried to remember to collect items to donate,” Trotter said. “I’m not always successful — I’m forgetful at times — but I do try. I travel at least 30 weeks out of the year as an NFL reporter, so the supplies usually add up quickly.”

Not only are these toiletries and other donations helping out the local community, but Sturdevant’s efforts are reaching places like Pangasinan, Philippines. Last year she took all of her toiletries and put together more than 50 bags to be distributed in the village where her grandmother lives.

Other members of the sports media industry are fond of the initiative and appear to be onboard.