Help for the Homeless
Help for the Homeless Hygiene Drive
by Pam Thomas
We had another successful hygiene products drive for our local family crisis center. This was the second year we participated and we collected A LOT of products! Volunteers at The Wisconsin Rapids Family Center were very appreciative for using our church as a collection site and for all the donations given. We filled the back of the van again this year! It feels good to be able to make a significant and positive impact for our community.
The Wisconsin Rapids Family Center was founded in a former convent across the street from St. Lawrence Catholic Church, at 510 10th Ave. N. in 1984. They moved to their new building on 25th Street in October 2004. Their primary responsibility is to provide safe shelter 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for people who are in crisis as a result of domestic violence. The shelter is a home-like environment in a secure building. It offers a safe "timeout" for all family members and gives an opportunity to regain strength and control.
The Family’s annual ‘Help for the Homeless’ hygiene drive partners with the community to help stock the shelves of 100+ homeless and crisis programs in 19 Wisconsin communities. The goal of the program is to supply a year’s worth of products to each agency. Donations remain in the community they come from.
Help for the Homeless has provided $5.4 million dollars’ worth of hygiene and cleaning supplies to local crisis programs over the past 32 years.
Here is the final news release for the 2023 drive:
Thank you for helping! The Family Radio’s 2023 Help for the Homeless Hygiene Drive topped $604,000 worth of donations this spring. Thanks to generous friends across Wisconsin who hosted collection boxes at over 1000 businesses, churches, government offices and schools - 121 crisis programs in 20 communities have each received nearly a year’s worth of supplies! These donations make it possible for local crisis programs to direct their limited funds to where they are needed most – staffing, programs, education, counseling, shelter, and food for those they serve. All donations remain in the community where they are collected. More information is at TheFamily.net. Thank you again!