The University of Massachusetts Public Health Club is collecting toiletry items for the month of April that will be donated to the Safe Passage shelter in Northampton. The club will help provide basic provisions to the shelter's residents.
According to Public Health Club President Amanda Mitchell, Safe Passage is "geared towards assisting women and children fleeing instances of domestic violence."
The club has a collection table among the rows lining the main walkway in the campus center every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., including this coming Wednesday, April 30. The table displays examples of the items they are collecting, including toiletries, dental hygiene, diapers, and women's sanitary items.
With the drive concluding at the end of the month, the club officials say they are pleased with the amount of donations they received so far.
"There's about 500 pounds of toiletry items in the back of my car," said Mitchell. "So between 500 and 600 pounds so far."
The Public Health Club started the drive as its event for the semester when members found out residents of the shelter have a specific need for household items.
"I had called to see if we could do any work with them," said club member Alex Gross. "They said they have a high demand for basic needs because when women and children flee they don't have time to bring basic things."
Domestic violence is present in the Pioneer Valley. According to Safe Passage's Web site, it receives over 2,000 calls on its crisis hotline, houses 35 women and 55 children in its shelter and has 250 participants in its programs each year.
In addition to providing shelter for up to six families at a time, Safe Passage offers a 24-hour crisis hotline and individual counseling as well as support groups for both women and children. Their services are available in multiple languages, including Spanish.
The 30-year-old non-profit organization will hold the event, "Stories of Strength: An Evening with First Lady Diane Patrick to benefit Safe Passage," on the evening of May 1.
Mitchell feels that the drive works toward the club's overall goals.
"It links to the Public Health Club in terms of community building and assisting those in need - enhancing community building throughout UMass and Amherst and Northampton," she said.
Part of getting UMass students involved in this type of community building, according to Mitchell, is due to UMass faculty.
"Dan Gerber got the 'My Body, My Health' class involved," she said. "He is the Public Health advisor for the club so he's always willing to help about."
The toiletry drive is the Public Health Club's second event as a Registered Student Organization, following their largely successful winter clothing drive last semester. The drive benefited the Amherst Survival Center and, according to Mitchell, hopes to repeat it in the upcoming fall semester, possibly making it an annual event.
Caitlin Quinn can be reached at cquinn@student.umass.edu.
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