Sharing hygiene items

Pinchapoo
Warrior. Fearless. Driven

Kate Austin’s bold idea for a social justice movement bloomed into Pinchapoo (pinch-a-shampoo), a non-profit that delivers millions of personal hygiene items to disadvantaged men, women and children each year.

Kate is a domestic violence survivor. She was hit with a lightning-bolt moment 12 years ago as she washed her hair with a bottle of shampoo she had taken from a hotel during a weekend away.

Her Robin Hood movement now works with over 600 organisations supporting vulnerable Australians and is the nation’s biggest non-profit supplier of shampoos, soaps, deodorants, toothbrushes, sanitary products and other hygiene items donated by the community.

It Kate’s vision that EVERY Australian has access to this basic human right essential to our mental and physical wellbeing.

It has also rescued 700 tons of stock that was destined for landfill.

Kate is proud that her non-profit provides volunteering opportunities to people with special needs, helping them become included and embraced within the community.

She feels humbled to be nominated as a Westfield Local Hero. “This has given me a chance to take a breath and realise what we have created is something to be extremely proud of,” Kate says.

Westfield Local Heroes are nominated and voted for by their communities, with the three top finalists per Westfield centre each awarded a $10,000 grant for their affiliated organisation. Pinchapoo will use its funds for its school hygiene support project, which discreetly distributes shampoo, deodorant and head lice kits to children in need.

For further information on the Westfield Local Heroes program, click here