Wear2Start Society vice-president Diane Carpenter, left, and W2S volunteer Dawn Hart help to sort the thousands of personal care items donated to our organization during our Beyond the Start Blue Bag Challenge.
At Wear2Start, we’re beyond thrilled with the response to our Beyond the Start Blue Bag Challenge. Thanks to the generosity of individuals, organizations and businesses, we collected thousands of personal care items. Donations of everything from soap and shampoo to toothbrushes and toothpaste, to razors and toiletry bags came in by the bag and box full. When the items were sorted, they filled all the 10 large storage containers we had — and overflowed into an extra box and bag.
The toiletries we collected go into the Beyond the Start Blue Bag, provided to each of our clients, along with a work wardrobe for job interviews or a new job.
Over the last weekend in April, our volunteers staffed a table at Hillside Centre where they collected donations and spoke with many mall-goers about our organization. One woman dropped an armload of items into our basket, saying it was just a small thank you because she had been helped by W2S many years earlier.
Dawn Hart — an extraordinary volunteer — had been putting together the blue bags on her own for seven years, collecting donations from family, friends and colleagues. With supplies running low, our Beyond the Start campaign has helped Dawn replenish her stock.
Many thanks to all those who contributed.