Archives for September 2018

Positivity and negativity are contagious, so which do you gravitate towards?  Our goal is to make sure you start off every weekend on a positive note. Check out our top three feel-good stories of the week and head into the weekend with your glass half full.

Compassion for All

Via Fox News

When a couple of firefighters in South Carolina noticed an exhausted and dehydrated hummingbird sitting on the curb, they decided to do something about it. The bird was unable to stand or fly so the guys filled up a bottle cap of water waiting for it to regain its strength. Eventually, the bird, which was no bigger than the firefighter’s finger, was back on its feet and flying away. You can teach a man to put out a fire, but that kind of compassion comes from the heart.

Grande Opportunity

Via Today

A Starbucks in Mexico has just opened up its newest location. What’s so newsworthy about this you ask? The new location will be run entirely by employees who are 55 and over. Starbucks is pushing to give more job opportunities to seniors and contribute to the elderly community in Mexico. Located in Mexico City, the location has 7 employees between the ages of 55 and 60. They currently have younger employees working to train them to eventually run the store themselves. Starbucks is hoping this movement will also help create a bond between our generations.

Danny’s Random Acts of Kindness

Via Fox 4 News

How does a random act of violence become a random act of kindness? Through you. This past Monday, Danny Hunter was only about a block from his house when he was shot in the back. He has no idea who fired the shots, or why they did, but he doesn’t want this act of violence to foster anything but kindness. Danny is asking his family and friends to counter this by carrying out random acts of kindness. This is how we make a difference – building positive outcomes from negative experiences. Thank you for this reminder, Danny.

Which path do you choose to take? We hope you follow us and try to see life in a positive light, using each moment as a chance to make a difference!

 

When we think of the needs of the homeless, we often focus on two specific things: food and shelter. However, it is naïve to assume that those two things alone satisfy basic human needs. For homeless women especially, there is a significant lack of availability when it comes to sanitary products and even underwear.

Kate Sanetra-Butler 

Dignity Matters, a Framingham-based 501(c)3 non-profit, was founded by Kate Sanetra-Butler in 2016 after she was asked by a young homeless woman in Copley Square for a spare tampon. After doing some additional research on the topic, Kate realized that there is a desperate need for feminine sanitary products and underwear. Many people falsely believe that these basic necessities are provided by homeless shelter services or for people who receive SNAP benefits (food stamps.) The reality of the situation is that SNAP benefits don’t cover things like sanitary napkins or bras and homeless shelters just can’t keep up with the demand. Even public schools in Massachusetts can’t guarantee that they can provide these products and they aren’t required to.

Having a period is not a choice. Every woman gets it every month, yet there are thousands of women and girls who cannot afford the $10 a month for sanitary products. Because of this, these women and school-aged girls are forced to either resort to unsanitary alternatives or skip school/work altogether. The same is true for women who cannot afford to purchase bras and underwear. Dignity Matters seeks to bring attention to this urgent issue and works with different agencies to ensure that no woman has to live without dignity during her period.

Many of the women that Dignity Matters help are single mothers, low-income or homeless, or women and teens who have escaped domestic violence and cannot return home. Over 40% of women in homeless shelters are employed but cannot afford housing. These women need assistance getting back on their feet, and taking time off of work just because they have their period is often not an option.

Hygiene products, bras, and underwear are almost never donated to shelters. Through donations, fundraisers, and drives, Dignity Matters collects these items and works directly with shelters to distribute to women in need. They also host “bra-events” where women in the shelters are measured and properly fitted for bras.

Through their programs and the generosity of others, Dignity Matters was able to provide 265,000 bras, pairs of underwear, and feminine hygiene products to over 50 homeless shelters, some of the poorest public schools and after-school programs for kids living in poverty and domestic violence programs.

Please join us in supporting Dignity Matters and their work in fighting a crisis happening every day for women and girls across the country.

Interested in donating or hosting a drive?

Visit www.dignity-matters.org to find out how you can help. 

 

 

Follow Dignity Matters on social media:

 Facebook: @donate.bras.underwear.to.women.in.DESPERATE.need

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