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The Great 9th Annual Toiletries Drive. How do you pull off a toiletries drive?

  • Writer: blog
    blog
  • 15 hours ago
  • 3 min read

Many thanks to one and all who helped to make our annual Toiletries Drive an amazing success. This was our 9th year of holding a Toiletries Drive, and it has grown from a couple of Womenaders gathering a couple of boxes of toiletries for one agency – back then it was the First5 SLO county in Oceano and here’s everything we collected in 2018 :



Fast forward to 2026 and here's what we collected this year for 21 agencies:


With lessons learned from prior years, this year we formed a “toiletries drive” committee of 6 dedicated Womenaders led by Kristin Bertsch Heenan and consisting of Carla Heise, Barbara Deel, Marilyn Mullaney, Patty Grady and Rosemary Cleaves. Starting in March we identified the agencies we would donate to this year and the specific items we wanted to focus on. Kristin created Sign Up Genius lists and Amazon wish lists.  She created the logistical process from donor to agency and the “algorithm”  for the equitable sharing of donations to the agencies.  The other members stayed in close contact with our receiving agencies, volunteered to receive all the Amazon deliveries (she was awash in Amazon boxes), made logistic signage for sorting day, picked up donations from some drop off locations and did shopping for crucial missing much needed items.  

Below is the THANK YOU email that Kristin sent to those of you who we know of through our SignUpGenius, Amazon Wish List, and  Zeffy platform who volunteered during the month or made cash donations.  In case we missed anyone, please read her heartfelt gratitude letter.


 

What a beautiful and meaningful day.  


Our 9th Annual South SLO County Womenade Toiletry Drive officially wrapped up today, and we are feeling incredibly grateful for this amazing community.


Over the past few weeks, donations poured in from collection sites, community members, volunteers, shoppers, and supporters all across the area. Today all of that generosity came together as volunteers sorted, packed, loaded, and delivered essential items to agencies throughout our community.


There was something really special about seeing Robin and Jim’s beautiful barn filled wall-to-wall with toiletries, volunteers, laughter, teamwork, and so much love. We are incredibly thankful to them for generously opening their space and helping make this entire project possible.


One of my favorite parts of these events is watching people connect. Volunteers meeting each other, working side-by-side, sharing stories, laughing together, and becoming part of something bigger than themselves. Community care doesn’t just happen in the deliveries, it happens in those moments too. 


Thank you to everyone who donated items, contributed financially, hosted collection bins, volunteered time, sorted, counted, loaded boxes, drove deliveries, or helped behind the scenes. Every single contribution mattered.


Today was a beautiful reminder that small acts of kindness, when multiplied by a community, become something truly powerful.





HOW TO DONATE:

 

or You can write a check to our full legal name: South SLO County Womenade and mail to:


South SLO County Womenade, 1793 Farroll Rd., Grover Beach, CA 93433.

 We encourage you to become one of our monthly or regular donors.  This can be easily done through your bank or charitable foundation. Please remember that if your company has a matching grants program to include us.  As you make or update your wills, please consider adding a legacy gift to us for our future sustainability.


website: sslocw.org

EIN#:27-0809744

 
 
 

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