Dignity Drive seeks sanitary donations

Donating sanitary items this April is a simple step locals can take to help restore dignity to Great Southern women in need.

The Dignity Drive is running nationwide next month — and local Share the Dignity representatives are urging Albany residents to help women in their region.

The words pad and tampon should not be taboo, but rather words to add to shopping lists so the items can be passed on to collection points.

Great Southern co-ordinator Trish Robinson said many people did not appreciate the need for donations in the Great Southern.

“There will be approximately 3000 packets of pads and tampons to be collected to reach charity needs,” she said. “Teenage girls are missing school and using toilet paper, using socks this is not OK.

“We have heard of girls using tampons for two days because there was nothing else.

“We can all help out by when we do our shopping; buy one for you and one for her, and find your nearest collection point. ”

She said that domestic and family violence, poverty, financial distress, unemployment, lack of affordable housing, and medical costs not covered by Medicare were some of the reasons locals had found themselves in need.

Local Share the Dignity representative Amber Lewis liaises between connection points and distributes donations to charities.

She said she became involved when she heard about girls missing school because they did not have sanitary items.

“I think education is hugely important, and it seemed like a tragedy that girls had to miss out because they didn’t have pads and tampons,” she said.

“I wanted to help change that.

“The drive is a chance to provide dignity to women and girls, a chance to make a difference in their lives.

“It’s such a simple thing that most women don’t have to worry about, but for those in need it can be life-changing.”

Share the Dignity is working with seven Albany charities to distribute donations.

The Dignity Drive runs through April. Donations can be made at IGA Albany, IGA Spencer Park, Pet Time in Mt Barker, Terry White Chemist Chester Pass, Australia Hearing and CWA.

Visit sharethedignity.com.au.