Extending dignity to women and girls in need

WOMEN’S charity Share the Dignity is running its August Dignity Drive.

The campaign aims to collect pads, tampons and sanitary items for distribution to girls and women who are homeless, at risk, suffering financial crisis or experiencing domestic violence, so they don’t need to choose between food and other essentials.

Andrea Whimpenny, Share the Dignity’s Regional Queen of the Grampians/Pyrenees area encourages all women, when purchasing their personal products, to buy an extra one and pop it in the collection boxes located in and around Ballarat.

“We have 28 drop off points across Ballarat including all Woolworths supermarkets and UFS Dispensaries, both hospitals, and many others,” she said.

“I approached UFS because I thought as a community-based organisation with a social conscience, and a broad reach through their dispensaries, it would be a beneficial partnership.”

Lynne McLennan, CEO at UFS said their purpose is to look after the whole health of the community and welcomed the opportunity to come on board.

There are UFS dispensaries from Gisborne to Ballan through Ballarat and over to Beaufort that offer Share the Dignity the opportunity to increase its reach.

“Our staff are tuned into dealing with dignity health needs and have been for years, it’s just part of how we operate,” Ms McLennan said.

The national collaboration with Woolworths commenced in March when the supermarket chain committed to donate five cents from every packet of pads and tampons sold in each of their 995 stores across Australia.

The relationship between Woolworths and the charity has been invaluable, Rochelle Courtenay, founder of Share the Dignity said.

“Having a collection point in all of their supermarkets this month will make it even easier for shoppers to play their role in helping thousands of Australian women and girls in need,” Ms Courtenay said.

Ms Whimpenny checks in with the local charities and welfare agencies during July to ascertain how many items they will need for distribution until the next campaign in April.

“This is our goal to make sure they always have on hand what they need,” she said.

“With the assistance of UFS and Woolworths and our other supporters we hope to achieve the goal this month.”