The employees and volunteers of Starlight Theatre recently joined with their Swope Park neighbors – the employees of the Kansas City Zoo and KC Parks – to host a Dignity Drive in support of the Kansas City nonprofit organization Giving the Basics.
During the two-week drive, those working for the three Swope Park entities were encouraged to “fill their barrels” with donations of new hygiene products, including such essentials as soap, deodorant, diapers, toothbrushes and tissue. The product donations help Giving the Basics continue its mission of distributing the necessities of life – “the basics” – to area pantries, schools and school districts that serve 220,000 Kansas Citians each month.
Starlight, the Zoo and KC Parks contributed a total of 3,960 hygiene items. Those items will supply one pantry for the next five months!
Following the #TeamSwopePark drive, Joanie Sheeley, Giving the Basics’ director of community partnerships, shared her thanks: “Your results were impressive! Because of you, people will receive the basic needs that are not provided by government assistance. Your gift could be their motivation to get the job they desire, raise their hand in school, improve attendance, stop their fear of being bullied because they smell. You all made a huge contribution in helping this mission to continue!”
To learn how to host your own Dignity Drive, visit givingthebasics.org.
