Bagging for women in need

In the lead up to its annual Christmas campaign, Australian women’s charity Share the Dignity is on the lookout for Geelong volunteers.

The not-for-profit organisation’s “It’s in the Bag” initiative – set to begin next month – will see volunteers work on a shift-rotation to collect donated bags from the region’s Bunnings stores.

Each bag contains shampoo, conditioner, a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, deodorant and sanitary items which are then forwarded to homeless women, women at risk or women experiencing domestic violence.

The volunteers – or “sheroes” and “heroes” as they are informally referred to – then count, check and pass on the care bags to women and girls from the local community who are affected by unfavourable conditions.

Leftover bags are packaged and distributed to other towns, as well as regional and rural communities where support services are in demand.

Share the Dignity founder Rochelle Courtenay said for Share the Dignity’s “It’s in the Bag” Christmas campaign to be successful, volunteers were needed.

“Our volunteers are the backbone and heart of Share the Dignity. It is through their hard work that we can pass on to a girl or women in need a gift of a handbag filled with essential items and small luxuries at Christmas.

“The community are so incredibly generous at this time of year and with poverty increasing and the demand for help high, we really need a hand getting the bags to all of the charities in time for Christmas.”

Geelong is home to four Bunnings stores – Waurn Ponds, Leopold, Torquay and Norlane – where Share the Dignity need volunteers to help with collecting donations from November 22 to December 7.

To register, head to sharethedignity.com.au/volunteer. For more information on preparing a bag for this year’s It’s in the Bag campaign, visit sharethedignity.com.au/christmas-charity.