WEYBURN – The Weyburn Rotary Club is providing a total of 10 totes filled with personal hygiene and clothing items to be available for women in a crisis situation.
Rotary member Gwen Wright explained the project to members at their luncheon meeting on Thursday, and showed off a packed tote as an example.
The Rotary Club provided these packages last year as well, and Wright said there is enough demand at community agencies to continue providing them.
She approached Pharmasave about providing a number of personal hygiene items, and they ended up donating about $400 worth of items, enough for 10 tote boxes.
She was also provided socks and a scarf for each tote from the Void.
In addition, the Prairie Sky Co-op gave the club a discount on $25 gift cards, with one to be placed into each tote box.
Some items were purchased by the club, like soap, shampoo and conditioner, to round out the items placed in the box, said Wright.
In contacting community agencies, like the Salvation Army, the Family Place and Blue Earth, Wright noted each one of them said they help out women in crisis when they’re contacted, and provide whatever they can for them when the need arises.
The tote boxes will be divided among these three, with four at the Salvation Army, three at the Family Place and three at Blue Earth.
“They all agreed and will identify who needs the totes and the items in them,” said Wright, noting as an example, Rose at Blue Earth had a single mom come in to ask for help in setting up a new household.
Another agency noted that on the day Wright dropped by, a woman with a child came in, “and she said I know she needs this,” and a tote was taken that night to the woman in need.
Each tote will have a sticker on the lid to identify that it was donated through the Weyburn Rotary Club, added Wright, noting each tote has about $80 worth of items inside, and the club spent $444 over and above the donated items.
She said she was very thankful that places like Blue Earth and the Salvation Army were willing to help out with this project.
Rotary member Pat May noted that Rose “does a lot behind the scene that people aren’t even aware of.”
Asked if there is a need for more to be provided, Wright said there is, based on the stories she was told at these three locations.
