TWOQC President Peggy McGee and Clothing Drive Chair Mary Lou Kiger were overjoyed by Quail Creek’s generosity. They thank the community a thousand times over for the contributions!
Janice Pell
The tremendous outpouring of generosity and support from the community for The Women of Quail Creek’s sixth annual clothing and household goods drive to benefit homeless veterans was overwhelming. An astonishing 7,640 items, 230 pounds of toiletries and $476 were contributed. Included in that number were seven bikes and 66 backpacks. This year’s drive was, by far, the most successful yet.
TWOQC and the Veterans Hospital staff were amazed and gratified by the quality of the items donated, many of which were new or in pristine condition. Over 350 hand-knitted hats and scarfs were donated. Fran Muller personally knitted over 200 items. Yoga instructor Karen Baker encouraged her students to bring in donations in lieu of paying the regular one-day class fee. The class responded by contributing $232 and 12 large bags of clothing and toiletries.
Volunteers collected, sorted and counted all the contributions. Many returned the following Monday to help deliver the items to the VA. Staff at the hospital, “expressed heartfelt appreciation for the donations and thanked the volunteers profusely,” said Mary Lou Kiger, event chair.
Genesis House, a local charity that provides shelter for victims of domestic violence, also benefited from the drive. Dazee’s, which supports Genesis House, received six large bags of dressier clothing and items that might not fit the needs of the homeless individuals.
TWOQC and the VA thank everyone who donated and/or worked on the drive. To view pictures of the clothing drive, visit the club’s website at womenqc.com.