MIDDLETOWN – RECAP’s Nutrition and Advocacy program created over 100 emergency packages of hygiene products during the program’s 2018 hygiene drive. The packages include toothbrushes and toothpaste, lip balm, washcloths, deodorant, feminine care items, and more. On Thursday, July 26 volunteers from the Middletown YMCA Leaders Club visited the program’s food pantry in Middletown to sort and organize boxes of donations into care packages.
Youth participants in the YMCA Leaders Club assist local groups and organizations through community service projects. Participants are Middletown high school students who are members of the YMCA and act as leaders within their schools and communities. They maintain their grades while participating in local events such as fundraisers, National Night Out, and Middletown’s cleanup day.
The hygiene drive began in April and ended in July. RECAP’s food pantry sees first-hand how personal hygiene items are an unmet need in the community. “We rely on donations from the community. Most donations are food and our grants don’t pay for hygiene products,” said Human Services Coordinator Francine Tavares who coordinated the event. “We see a great need in particular for toothbrushes, toothpaste and soap.”
About the Program: Staff and volunteers at RECAP’s Nutrition & Advocacy Program work to connect the area’s hungry residents with food and encourage participants to utilize other food resources in the community. An emergency food pantry is available on weekdays as well as a daily supply of breads and cakes. The program hosts and annual Thanksgiving Drive and Strike Out Hunger Bowl-a-thon every fall.
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