Meet Your Neighbor: Stacy Wiener

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Got Soap?

Did you know that government subsidies do not cover the cost of soap and other essential toiletries? Stacy Wiener learned this when volunteering at the Bradley Pantry where she witnessed families requesting soap and shampoo along with food. She found a way to distribute soap to the underserved population in a way that is kind, and preserves the dignity of the recipients. Stacy put her talent for knitting and crocheting to good use and created Soap S.A.C.K. (Supporting A Community with Kindness) three years ago. The concept is simple. Festive soap sacks are crocheted or knitted, filled with a bar of soap, and completed with a tag containing a heartfelt message. They are then distributed to food pantries, housing centers, veterans clinics, social service agencies, relief efforts and charities. What started as a local effort has blossomed into a national and international phenomenon. Meet Stacy Wiener to learn how a simple idea in Monmouth County gained traction around the world.

CM: How did S.A.C.K. initially get the sacks made and distributed, and how has it grown?

Stacy Wiener (SW): When I started S.A.C.K. in 2017, I was the only one crocheting/knitting sacks and purchasing the soap to fill them. After reaching out to several local knitting/crocheting groups and explaining the S.A.C.K. mission, they began to make soap sacks for me. However, I was the only one who was donating soap sacks to shelters, pantries and social service agencies, primarily within Monmouth County. A local story was picked up by USA Today two years ago, and within hours, I was receiving emails from all over the country asking me if they could do the same for shelters and pantries in their communities. As you can probably guess, I said YES!! Now there are volunteers in EVERY state as well as Canada, Asia, Europe and Australia. More than 100,000 soap sacks have been donated globally! I am so incredibly lucky to be part of this important mission of extending kindness, one sack at a time.

CM: Tell us about your family and whether they are involved in helping.

SW: My son, Aron, 18, just graduated from the Engineering Academy at Red Bank Regional and will be attending University of Pittsburgh as a Chemical Engineering student. My husband, Bob, retired from Johnson & Johnson two years ago. We have two coonhound pointer dogs—Choliy and Molae. Aron coordinated a soap drive at RBR during his junior year. Bob is the “back office guy” (his words) for S.A.C.K. He has been solely responsible for the paperwork to get the 501c3 status, trademarking the logo, setting up and maintaining the website, etc.

CM: What are some of the challenges of S.A.C.K.?

SW: I am always in need of soap. It has been especially challenging since COVID—personal hygiene is more important than ever.

CM: What would be your dream way of advancing S.A.C.K.?

SW: I want to continue to inspire people to be part of the S.A.C.K community…and have soap sacks donated all over the world, so a corporate sponsorship, or an appearance on television, or other way to reach a large audience and advance the cause is my dream.

CM: Do you have any hobbies when not working on S.A.C.K?

SW: Besides knitting and crocheting, I love to read and walk the boardwalk. I live two blocks from the beach—I am definitely a Jersey Shore Beach Girl.

CM: Favorite quote?

SW: “Wherever there is a human in need, there is an opportunity for kindness and to make a difference.” Kevin Heath

CM: How can CM readers get involved?

SW: We appreciate the help! Readers can visit SoapSacks.com for sample patterns and information. They can coordinate soap drives, donate to S.A.C.K. through the website, donate soap through Amazon, (where we also have a Wishlist) as well as donate craft store gift cards to help offset the cost of yarn. We are also on Facebook (@SoapSACK) and Instagram (@soapsacks).