National charity Share the Dignity is looking for more volunteers across the Mitchell Shire to support the ‘Dignity Drive’, which collects hygiene products throughout March and August aiming to end period poverty.
Similar to the charity’s ‘It’s in the Bag’ at Christmas, the ‘Dignity Drive’ places a pink collection box at Woolworths and participating stores for residents to donate new and sealed sanitary pads, tampons, incontinence pants and reusable products.
Volunteers then sort the products and send them off to relevant charities in the shire.
Seymour resident and Share the Dignity volunteer Simone Ispanovity, who has been involved since 2019, said the Mitchell Shire needed more volunteers to enable the charity to reach more people and help with the cost of living.
“I think just by having more volunteers, we can help more people,” she said.
“In today’s day and age, everyone’s struggling, the cost of living is hard … just thinking that there’s people that are going without, not having soap or not having a deodorant, like that can be the difference between getting a job or not getting a job, just general hygiene.”
Ms Isaponvity said part of volunteering was learning about period poverty and understanding people’s situations.
“It’s not a lot of time, but if you have other commitments, everyone can certainly help each other,” she said.
“It is a very fulfilling and satisfying thing to do, and when you hear stories and people saying, ‘oh you know we’re getting low on these items’, people really appreciate having these donations.”
In this month’s ‘Dignity Drive’, Ms Isaponvity said there were no current registered drop-off points other than Woolworths stores in the shire and encouraged businesses to get involved for August’s drive.
“The more places that have a collection box, the more donations and the more people we can help, and then that will mean we do need more volunteers,” she said.
Donations can be made at any Woolworths up until March 31.
For more information, visit www.sharethedignity.org.au/dignity-drives.
