That’s a wrap – or an unwrap, as the case may be.
The Women in Business Club (WiB) has completed their spring philanthropy drive, and students took time earlier this week to open and unwrap the dozens of items purchased from its Amazon registry. Items were then sorted and parceled out to three different organizations that provide services to women experiencing homelessness.
“I’m really satisfied with our results,” said Janet Tran, one of the student organizers. “We were able to hand over a lot of items that were in high demand to each of our partners.”
The drive collected 15 sets of towels, 23 sets of sheets, 42 multi-packs of underwear, 17 large boxes of diapers and gift cards totaling $170. The donations were split between The Road Home, YWCA of Utah and South Valley Services. The agencies told the WiB student leaders what supplies they were most in need of, and the club created a registry to help collect those items. According to the agencies, items that need to be new, such as underwear, sheets and towels, are always in short supply. Agency leaders also noted there is always high demand for baby items like formula and diapers, which can be prohibitively expensive for homeless families.
“It was absolutely amazing to see all the donations pour in,” Tran said. “It wasn’t mandatory, and the amount of items we were able to collect was awesome. It was just a feel good moment.”
The items were extremely welcome at the agencies, where hundreds of women and children seek assistance each year.
“We are grateful to University of Utah David Eccles School of Business for brightening the lives of people who are overcoming homelessness,” said Matthew Minkevitch, executive director of The Road Home. “More people are turning to us than ever before in our history, and we need all the help we can get. We sincerely appreciate your generosity.”