WINNIPEG -- A Winnipeg women’s centre has moved its annual hygiene drive to an online platform amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Every April, the West Central Women’s Resource Centre (WCWRC) holds the drive to collect essential items for women in need such as shampoo, soap, toothpaste and feminine hygiene products, among others.
But this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the centre said in a Tuesday news release that it can’t accept donations, so instead it’s asking for financial support so it can buy food and hygiene products.
The centre noted that $50 buys a basket of food for a week, and $20 buys a hygiene kit that lasts a month. Donations can be made online. wcwrc.ca/support
WCWRC said it started delivering food baskets to women last week, so that they don’t have to leave their homes, but also have someone to check on them.
The centre said these food deliveries are an unplanned, but necessary expense that’s costing $10,000 a month to deliver 50 baskets a week. It said it focuses on those who are most vulnerable, noting the delivery spots filled up immediately.
“This is a challenging time for all of us, but for the women who depend on West Central Women’s Resource Centre, this is devastating,” said Lorie English, executive director at WCWRC, in the release.
“We’ve all been directed to stay at home, but for the women in our community this is simply not possible. They do not have the resources to stock up on essentials and many do not have a home to stay in at all.”
The centre is also providing outreach to women experiencing homelessness, with its van driving throughout the community to give out sandwiches, hygiene products and harm reduction supplies.
“We need help to flatten the curve, not only of the virus, but of the acute impact this is having on women,” said English. “Living in poverty is a great stress and strain to begin with, and this pandemic is bringing women close to their breaking point. We’re seeing it every day.”
