Hygiene drive collects more than 1100 items for Hamilton Food Cupboard
Community Memorial Hospital and its five Family Health Centers kicked-off the season of giving by collecting more than 1,100 hygiene products. The drive began Nov. 1 and continued for two weeks; items were delivered to the Hamilton Food Cupboard Wednesday, Nov. 21.
Meghan Dougherty, marketing and development coordinator, and Pam West, director of nutritional services were chairs for the 2018 drive at CMH.
“This has become an important part of the hospital’s annual holiday activities and our employees look forward to this project,” West said. “I am humbled and honored to work with such an amazing staff that enjoys giving back to our community.”
The Hamilton Food Cupboard, an advocate for the hungry in the Hamilton and Madison school districts, feeds people in need and provides information about social agencies that are relevant to a patron’s specific needs. Every month, anywhere from 150 to 200 families from the region visit the food cupboard.
While food is their primarily need, non-food items such as shampoo, soaps, bandages, paper towels and feminine hygiene products are also needed, but these items are often overlooked as donations to the cupboard.
Suzanne Collins, administrator for the Hamilton Food Pantry accepted the items on behalf of Hamilton Food Cupboard.
“This donation is huge both in size and generosity,” Collins said. “These are basic items people cannot get with food stamps, and they are necessities. Bandages, soap and toothbrushes are important hygiene items, and for the food cupboard to offer them is a big deal. People often go without hygiene items because they cannot afford them. These are healthcare needs and mean so much to people.”
Hospital departments as part of the hygiene drive were encouraged to raise awareness for the need for hygiene products by building structures with their collected goods. Creations were displayed on the hospital’s Facebook page for the community to vote for their favorite creation.
Receiving more than 200 votes was the creation “Warming Hearts One Donation at a Time,” presented by the finance, health information management and quality assurance departments.
“We are pleased to continue our support for the efforts of the Hamilton Food Cupboard. Dedicated staff and volunteers provide a valuable service to families in this region,” said CMH President and CEO Sean Fadale. “They truly make a positive difference. I also want to express my appreciation to our employees for their generosity and creativity in raising awareness and for caring about our community.”