Making Your Donation Count: 12 Basic Items for Women in Need

$10 goes a long way with this list of essentials for the Women’s Centre of Calgary.

By Sabrina Kooistra

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Non-profit organizations, such as food banks and shelters, often run short on certain essential items. Indeed, any donation is welcomed for its potential to improve the life of an individual in need, but what if you could optimize your donation to have the greatest possible impact? We all want to ensure that our donations count and that what we donate will have a lasting effect on the people we seek to help; however, when we are not the ones in direct contact with individuals in crisis it can be hard to determine what is truly needed. 

In the pursuit of serving the needs of vulnerable and disadvantaged women in our city, we looked to the Women’s Centre of Calgary. As we at YYC for Women seek to serve the needs of the Women’s Centre of Calgary, we want to share the list they created that highlights what items they are presently in need of. This way, we and other interested donors will be able to shape our donations to have the greatest possible impact on the lives of women– women who live without the essentials I and other women take for granted. 

Below are basic personal care essentials that will have a universal impact:

• Shampoo and conditioner
• Body wash
• Deodorant
• Feminine hygiene products (eg. pads, tampons, sanitary napkins)
• Toothbrushes
• Lotion (hand and body)
• Face care products
• Toilet paper

Items that benefit children, specifically:

• Diapers (size four and up)
• New, unwrapped toys

Miscellaneous items for every day

• Gift cards for grocery stores
• Plastic and reusable bags (new and used)

Note that many of these items are incredibly inexpensive to donate, some costing as little as $1. You don’t need to worry about finding big, expensive items to donate, because at the end of the day, items like toothbrushes and body wash can go a long way. Sometimes we forget that when it comes to donating, the simplest of things can have a major impact. So can you imagine the impact a mere $10 could have on the lives of Calgarian women and children living in poverty? 

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References

Nirad. (n.d.). Colourful toiletries on the cupboard [Photograph]. Canva.com. https://www.canva.com/photos/MADerlx7hOg-colorful-toiletries-on-the-cupboard