FOR CITY TIMES

WISCONSIN RAPIDS – The Wisconsin Rapids Family Center and FOCUS are two of the more than 100 agencies to benefit from the 31st annual “Help for the Homeless Hygiene Drive” sponsored by The Family Radio Network.

The drive, which kicked off Feb. 12 and continues through March 5, focuses on the collection of personal hygiene and cleaning products to help support the needs of crisis agencies throughout Wisconsin.

The goal of the drive is to supply a year’s worth of products to each agency. Food Share (formerly Food Stamps) and WIC can only be used to purchase food, and does not cover needed hygiene items like soap, diapers, toothpaste, or hair products.

More than 900 area businesses, churches, and schools participate annually, hosting collection boxes in-house and donating more than $500,000 worth of supplies to their local crisis programs. There are 19 locations in Wisconsin Rapids and Nekoosa, in addition to boxes in each of the Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools buildings, and Central Office.

All donations, including financial support, remain in the communities where they come from. Local donations are shared between The Wisconsin Rapids Family Center and FOCUS (formerly SWEPS). Donations received within WRPS stay within the school district.

The Family Radio Network partners with area homeless coalitions and crisis programs by inviting participating communities to donate needed hygiene items for their local agencies through the “Help for the Homeless Hygiene Drive.” Supplying the crisis programs with laundry soap, hair and dental care items, deodorant, diapers, and other personal care and cleaning products makes it possible for them to dedicate their limited financial resources to providing qualified personnel, education, counseling, safe housing, and nutritious food to those they serve.

$4.8 million worth of hygiene items have been donated through the event to date.

For a list of donation locations in the Wisconsin Rapids area, go to The Family Center website at www.familyctr.org.