While Rena Owens was waiting at her dentist office, she discovered an article about how millions of kids don’t have underwear and what UNDERWEARNESS is doing to help.
“The article touched my soul in some way,” she says.
She ripped the article out of the paper and brought it to her colleagues at the GFWC LaBelle Community Women’s Club in LaBelle, Florida. The membership decided they wanted to support UNDERWEARNESS and make it a year-long project.
“For us, a small club in one of the poorest counties in Florida, it was an extremely successful project,” says Owens, chairman of the UNDERWEARNESS Committee for the LaBelle Community Women’s Club.
They placed underwear collection boxes in several locations throughout LaBelle, including churches and mobile home communities. After collecting more than 3,600 pairs of underwear, they distributed to children in need in Hendry County through schools, the pre-K program, the local battered women’s shelter and the United Way.
“I know of a least one case where a young man did not go to his college interview because he didn’t have underwear. I know we’ve made an impact,” she says.
The LaBelle Community Women’s Club has passed on the word about UNDERWEARNESS to other organizations and is considering hosting another drive in the future.
“For anybody who is looking for a relatively easy way to do a community project, this is it," she says.
Thank you to Rena Owens and the LaBelle Community Women’s Club for their support!
If you are interested in hosting a drive or event, please visit our "Get Involved" page for more information.
