6TH ANNUAL NECESSITY DRIVE!
One of my favourite parts of the holiday season is when we all work together to provide for those in need and each year our Necessity Drive does just that! Started when we first opened in 2013, the drive seeks to collect menstrual products, toiletries, and new underwear for women and youth in need. Many of those seeking refuge at a local shelter are struggling and these simple things that we may take for granted become an expense that many can't manage.
In our first few years we focused on one shelter, and eventually moved on to two. Last year was our most successful yet and we were able to donate to FOUR shelters! Read a bit more about these shelters below. This year our goal is to donate to as many shelters as possible! To help spread the love we will be spreading out the drop-off locations with some awesome community partners. You can always drop off at girl on the wing, but if you are looking for something in your area, we are happy to have drop-off locations at:
Girl on the Wing: 181 King St E
White Elephant (Westdale location): 1032 King St W, Westdale
Hello Baked (East End): 342 Barton St E
Dundurn Market: 346 Dundurn St S
Dundas: Location TBC
And here's a poster you can put up at your workplace/ holiday party/ school/ wherever if you'd like to set up your own donation zone. Just grab a box or bin and tape this poster up! 
We will be accepting donations until December 21st. If you donate in-store, be entered to win a GOTW store credit!
LAST YEAR'S DONATIONS WENT TO:
•Living Rock is a safe place of community and support for youth-at-risk which provides essential supports to one of Hamilton’s most vulnerable populations: youth between the ages of 13-25, who are affected by significant risk factors such as loss of family, poverty, substance misuse and mental health. The programs and services offered by Living Rock Ministries provide a continuum of care for youth and their children, while offering opportunities for personal development, life-skills and employment training. When we dropped off they were ecstatic and mentioned that they don't often get these types of donations and feminine products are really hard to come by- so I'm so happy we could drop some off!
•Mary's Place is an emergency women's shelter that offers support to homeless women or those escaping violence. This was our second year having them on our list and they're a really well-run shelter. Along with the feminine products, we also donated the gift sets/items here because they do a gift program with the women in the shelter and their children.
•Native Women's Centre provides a safe emergency shelter for women of all backgrounds, many of whom are dealing with homelessness, violence, or conflicts with the law. They provide assistance to indigenous families in the Hamilton area by identifying their needs, advocating on their behalf and establishing programs and services to meet their needs.
If you know of any other shelters we should add to our list, or have any questions email us: whitney at girlonthewing.ca