Most of us agree that one of the nicest of gestures is to be given something that is hand crafted. Whether that be a handmade card or handmade soap bars does not matter, as long as it's handmade. A gift with the sweat equity of your time, effort and love means more than any store bought gift.

Most soap makers have loads of soap at home drying that they collect like perfectly preserved artifacts. Admit it. I used to be one of those folks - a soap hoarder who just collected soap and packed them away in nice pretty boxes, smug in the knowledge that I have all that yummy soap stashed away, ready for the inevitability that I may run out of handmade soap and I would be forced to resort to store bought commercial soap.

You know the feeling.

And you know people like that. Maybe you are one of them. The lady that collects soap instead of cats. It becomes an obsession -- searching after the perfect soap with a touch of the right suds and just a dash of that emmoliency to the nnnth. But it really becomes a crazy obsession when everything you see becomes the object of desire for your decoctions and infusions, the result of which are strange recipes like olive oil infused with dieffenbachia and wild palm leaves with lime and fish scales. Then you cannot get past a meal without imagining its ingredients as soap and your desperation knows no end as happy hour becomes the chance to not just try new drinks but to introduce you to new soap recipes such as beer soap (which is the gateway soap) leading to rum soap, and tequila soap, etc.

So you give it a break. And that happy medium is to give some of your soap away.

Even if one sells soap (the perfect ones) many of us have less than perfect soap clogging up our closets maintaining us in a euphoria of scent bliss.


Why Now
Now is as good as any time to do something outside of your comfort zone. One would think that soap alone may not make a difference, but think of it this way - a handmade gift received tells the receiver that there is hope, that they are valued and that in the big scheme of things, they matter.

Where to give soap
Non profit organizations are a good place to start. Many folks who get help including clothing (which oftentimes are hand me downs) would welcome a care package or just some good soap.

Here are some other ideas of places that would probably welcome your handmade creations:

Homeless Shelters
To search for a homeless shelter near you Homeless Shelter Directory

Safe Horizon is an organization that helps victims of domestic violence. They are located in Manhattan, New York city.

Pick Up Please is an organization run by The Vietnam Veterans of America. They will pick up donations at your location for The Battered Women's Foundation as well as donations for The Vietnam Veterans of America. Pick up Please services the areas surrounding Washington, DC