Mind & Care Kits Initiative

Volume 1, No. 1
Online ISSN: 3071-0898

© The authors. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons 4.0 License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Mind & Care Kits Initiative

CONFERENCE ABSTRACT

Morgan Harold*, Josephine Rodriguez*, Skylar Watkins*, and Ashley Gardner⁺

School of Health Sciences, Barton College, Wilson, NC, USA
*Student author, ⁺Faculty mentor

CITATION

Harold, Morgan; Rodriguez, Josephine; Watkins, Skylar, & Gardner, Ashley. (2026). Mind & care kits initiative [Conference abstract]. Barton Journal, 1(1), 194–195. https://bartonjournal.org/vol-1-no-1/2026-cat4-article-no-037

Abstract

Applying the Eight Dimensions of Wellness Framework, Mojo’s is a student-led initiative focused on improving mental well-being and reducing hygiene insecurity among students at Barton College. Many college students face financial stress and housing instability, which can limit their access to essential hygiene products and negatively impact their mental health, confidence, and academic performance (Nasr et al., 2024; Roy & Biswas, 2025). Mojo’s proposes the Mind and Care Kits Initiative, which aims to assemble and distribute up to 100 hygiene kits containing toothbrushes, toothpaste, travel-size hygiene products, and handwritten encouragement notes to students experiencing financial hardship. These kits were distributed through accessible campus locations and partner offices in order to reduce stigma and increase reach. The goal of this project was to reduce hygiene insecurity, promote emotional well-being, and support students’ academic and personal success. Methods included bulk purchasing hygiene supplies, assembling kits, advertising via flyers and email, and hosting a campus distribution event. The total funding requested for this initiative was approximately $500. With support from campus partners and a clear evaluation plan, Mojo’s was committed to ensuring the kits were distributed effectively and positively impacted student well-being.

Keywords: mental health, hygiene, confidence, performance

References

Nasr, Ramona; Rahman, Abir Abdel; Haddad, Chadia; Nasr, Nada; Karam, Joanne; Hayek, Jessy; Ismael, Ibrahim; Swaidan, Eman; Salameh, Pascale; & Alami, Nael. (2024). The impact of financial stress on student wellbeing in Lebanese higher education. BMC Public Health, 24(1809), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-19312-0

Roy, Sharmistha; Biswas, Ashis Kumar & Sharma, Manoj. (2025). Stress, anxiety, and depression as psychological distress among college and undergraduate students: A scoping review of reviews guided by the socio-ecological model. Healthcare, 13(16), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13161948

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