For your summertime reading pleasure, a lot for you to catch up on!
Radio Show Appearance
On July 12th Rosemary Cleaves and Andrea DeVitt were guests on the Dave Congalton Show. Listen to the broadcast.
Mark your calendars – Tuesday August 17th at 6PM is our next Potluck and we’ll be in person!
Coming soon! Mariam Shah has graciously offered to host our next potluck for our first in person event since the COVID19 Pandemic chased us into solitary confinement! I bet you can’t wait to meet up with everyone again in person, get caught up, learn about what is happening in our community and share some wonderful food and drink! Please share with your friends and neighbors and invite them to attend. Evite coming to you on August 1! Minimum donation $50 but we will always accept more!
It’s the Great Toiletry Drive! Why a Toiletry Drive? Did you know? Hygiene Poverty is a thing! They are the fifth most asked for item by those in need in our poorer communities – after food, rent, utilities and gas! So what is Hygiene Poverty? Hygiene poverty is not being able to afford many of the everyday hygiene and personal grooming products most of us take for granted. The reality of low income is that it restricts people's options, leaving us caught between being able to heat our homes, pay the rent, eat or be clean.
Nearly 40% of people in low income and over 50% of 18 to 24 year olds, have gone without hygiene or grooming products or been forced to cut down on them for financial reasons.
So what do people in hygiene poverty do without toiletries? Many of the choices are pretty gross but you can use your imagination. The less distasteful but still unappealing choices include whole families washing their hair, their bodies, their faces and clothes with the same cheap dish washing liquid used to do the dishes; using paper towels or toilet paper for sanitary products; reusing dirty diapers; whole families share a single toothbrush and baking soda!
The mental health of children suffers because they get bullied at school because they have greasy or matted hair and smell, because shampoo and deodorant would have meant missing a meal. People step away from you because you smell or look disheveled. That insecurity eats away at self confidence. People don’t discuss hygiene poverty because it’s shaming.
Most of us haven’t experienced hygiene poverty, so it’s not at the forefront of our minds.
South SLO County Womenade is very fortunate to have two groups who have volunteered to hold a toiletry drive. We are so grateful! The Trilogy Service Club in Nipomo led by a team of Judy Woo, our Trilogy Womenade liaison, and Cathy Arvizu, Kim Johnson and Robin O’Rourke. Also Sharon McDaniel with her friends Debby Swenson, Lori Wertz are also conducting a toiletry drive in central and northern South SLO County.
We are collecting the following items at all drop off locations:
FULL SIZE (NOT hotel or travel size. Those can be left at Little Free Pantries around the County.)
Bar Soap
Liquid Body Wash
Shampoo
Conditioner
Baby Shampoo
Baby Soap
Deodorant
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Dental Floss
Lotion
Razors
Shaving Cream
Mouthwash
Face Cleaning Wipes
Tampons
Sanitary Napkins
Here are the messages each group is sending out to their networks. Please share with your network of friends, neighbors and relatives about this drive and the many drop-off locations. The Trilogy Service Club in Nipomo The Trilogy Service Club is sponsoring a Toiletries drive to benefit the South SLO County Womenade. They are an all volunteer organization that supports SLO county individuals and families in need. Toiletries are among the top 5 things most requested by clients. To help meet that need the TSC is having a Toiletry Drive for Womenade from June 16, 2021 to August 15, 2021. Drop off locations: 1166 Trail View Place, Nipomo (bin by front door) 1392 Vicki Lane, Nipomo (bin by front door) 1402 Vista Tesoro Place (bin by front door) Donation receipts are available next to the bins. The toiletries will be distributed to the Family Resource Centers in Arroyo Grande, Nipomo, Oceano, and The Link, as well as South County Youth Coalition, Lucia Mar Families in Transition, Lucia Mar High Schools, Department of Social Services. .County Nurses and Casa Solana. If you would prefer to donate money instead, checks should be made out to So SLO Co Womenade. You can either mail them to the drop off locations or place them under the front door mats. With Sincere thanks, Cathy Arvizu, Kim Johnson, Robin O’Rourke, and Judy Woo - Trilogy Womenade Liaison
Sharon McDaniel’s drive South SLO County Womenade is a volunteer organization that supports SLO County individuals and families in need. Toiletries are among the top five things most requested. To help meet that need, Womenade is having a Toiletries Drive from June 28, 2021 to August 15, 2021. Cash donations gratefully accepted, and we will purchase toiletries. Make checks out to South SLO County Womenade. Receipts for your donations are available. Drop off Locations:
Avila Bay Club, 6699 Bay Laurel Place, Avila Beach
McDaniel Reporting, 1302 Osos Street, SLO (M-F, 10-4)
2342 Willet Way, Arroyo Grande (Cypress Ridge)
903 Sycamore Drive, Arroyo Grande (off Halcyon near Harloe Elementary School)
1166 Trail View Place, Nipomo (Monarch Dunes)
Toiletries will be distributed to the Family Resource Centers in Arroyo Grande, Nipomo, Oceano, and The Link, as well as South County Youth Coalition, Lopez High School Wolf Den, Lucia Mar Families in Transition, and County Nurses.
Here’s where the donations went in June of 2021
Arroyo Grande Family Resource Center – Jessica Baza
Family in need of food assistance. Food 4 Less $200
Family is about to be homeless and boy (who has down syndrome) is in need of basic needs. Food4Less/Walmart $300
Single mom has 3 daughters in need of clothing and basic needs.Target/Old Navy $300
Nipomo Family Resource Center – Karina Ayala
Single mom out of work due to back injury. Mom just had back surgery and needs help with food and bill. Rent and Vons $297
Single father taking care of his son. Mom passed away. Going through difficult time and need foos assistance. Vons $200
Single mom struggling to pay rent. Does not receive any assistance. SLO Bay Apartments (landlord) $300
Single mother trying to catch up on expenses and needs help with clothing for her daughter. Walmart $100
Oceano Family Resource Center – Stella Medina
Father left the family and moved out of state leaving the family with no money at all. In need of basic needs. Walmart/Arco $200
Unexpected expenses this month has caused to family to fall behind. Rental assistance needed Belridge Apts (landlord) $300
Loss of job related to Covid. Just found a new job but needs help with gas. Arco $50
Single mother of 3 living in a safe shelter are in need of clothing. They left their home with nothing. Marshalls $200
Dad and son are homeless and are in need of shoes. Ross $50
Student is in need of swim lessons and it is not in their budget at this time. AGHS $160
Mother hospitalized and had major loss of income and is in need of water bill assistance. OCSD $228
Client has been in and out of the hospital for months and is in need of gas and food. Arco and Smart and Final $150
Casa Solana – Renee Poirier
Casa Solana was able to provide a gift bed for 1 month to a women who had no financial resources and was unable to pay.Gift Bed $800
Lopez High School – Jennifer Bowen/ Auroro Munoz Graduation recognition supplies $455.82 Lopez HS Wolf Den – Heidi Boatman and Jann Jeffries
On vacation
First 5 Early Learning – Lauren Thoren – Mayra Botello and Melanie Powers
On vacation
The Link – Erica Andrade
A low-income family of four in need of utility assistance. Mother has just been laid-off from work and father works part-time. PG&E and SoCal Gas $167.86
A Veteran Single-mother works full-time in the medical field and is having a difficult time getting her son to summer school. He is in need of a bike to be able to go to summer school on his own. Visa Card $150
The Nipomo Food Distribution The 8 to 10 volunteers at the Nipomo food Distribution have been busy throughout the pandemic, and our client numbers have risen from 188 to 300 families. We’re still doing the second Tuesday of each month. The food comes to us pre-packed from the Foodbank and the cars line up, and we do a drive-thru no contact distribution – all masked and gloved. The Nutrition Team is on summer break but before you know it we will be back needing lunch bags for the students who don’t have food on the weekends. School starts on August 19.
Update on funds received: 6/1/21 to 6/30/21 $ 1,650.07 1/1/21 to 6/30/21 $ 41,126.53 2/1/2019 to 6/30/21 $ 174,025.89 Many thanks to our fabulous June donors! Amazon Smile, Susan McCutcheon, Jessica Griffiths, J. Owen Eister, Elaine Stewart, Wendy Castleman, Mary Dejong, Alex and Jessie Shu, Rosemary Cleaves, Robin Gilmartin and Diane Mack, Alex and Jessie Shu (2), Lynn Heinrich, Karen Kolba, Pismo Beach Rotary, Nancy Terrell
How to donate: To make a donation write a check to South SLO County Womenade and mail to: South SLO County Womenade, 1793 Farroll Rd., Grover Beach, CA 93433 or go to our website sslocw.org or paypal.me/sslocwomenade . Our email is: sslocwomenade@gmail.com Our website is: sslocw.org Our EIN# is:27-0809744 Phone number: (805) 270-5751
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South SLO County Womenade1793 Farroll Rd. Grover Beach, CA 93433