BORDER people are urged to have a hand in sharing the dignity for homeless women this Christmas.
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Share the Dignity – a charity that provides personal hygiene products and essential items for women who are homeless, living below the poverty line or victims of domestic violence – started in Queensland about two years ago.
Border volunteer Rebecca O’Brien said the campaign hoped to collect scores of handbags filled with personal care products in Albury this year.
She said they needed 400 bags to simply meet the needs of charities in our region alone.
“It is rather simple, you grab a used or new handbag and fill it with essential items like deodorant, soap, shampoo, conditioner, sanitary items, toothpaste and toothbrush and then whatever luxury items you think a woman may need like pen and paper, a scarf, a pair of earrings,” she said.
“These are all things we take for granted that the underprivileged women of our community go without.”
Share the Dignity bags can be dropped to Bunnings stores during opening hours until December 2.
Share the Dignity volunteers will collect donated bags and distribute them throughout December to domestic abuse shelters and drop-in centres, to ensure the bags are available for homeless women in time for Christmas.
Ms O’Brien said The Carevan Foundation, YES Unlimited and St Matthew’s Albury were among charities which would distribute the bags on the Border.
Share the Dignity founder Rochelle Courtenay said Australians had donated 134,000 bags since the launch of the campaign two years ago.
She said 85,000 women and teenage girls would be homeless, sleeping rough or taking refuge in shelters this December.
“This year we’re doing it all again and we’d love as many Australians as possible to be involved so that all 85,000 homeless women are given a helping hand this Christmas,” she said.
“We wanted to give Aussie women and girls doing it tough at over the holiday period a reason to smile and feel cared for, as well as restoring some dignity by providing them with handbags filled with essential hygiene products they desperately need, as well as a few little treats.”
People are encouraged to put a thoughtful note into the bags, to show these women that someone cares and that they matter.
If you still wish to donate after the collection has finished at Bunnings on December 2, simply post your bags to: PO Box 345, Sandgate QLD 4017.