Pack the Pantry Committee Thanks you!

Dear ICUB Members and Friends,

Thank you for all of your support!  Due to your generosity, we were able to have a successful Pack the Pantry Campaign and provide the YMCA Supportive Housing residents a little cheer over the holiday season.

On December 9, 2022, volunteers for the Des Moines Chapter Iowa Council of the United Blind delivered five truck-loads of donations to the YMCA campus.  This included over 1,000 food and hygiene items for their pantry, numerous bags of new and gently used clothing, and many household items including but not limited to small appliances, dishware, utensils, glasses, colanders, dishcloths, bath rugs and holders, candles, and holiday decor.

In addition, each of the 140 residents received a household bag with cleaning supplies such as all-purpose cleaner, dish soap, Brillo sponges, S.O.S. pads and a package of four rolls of toilet paper.

Along with the household items, each resident received a holiday bag.  The holiday bags included: shampoo, conditioner and bodywash, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, Gillette or Venus razors, warm socks, warm gloves, a laundry kit with Tide pods and Downy sheets, a bag of Christmas candy, and a holiday card signed by the Iowa Council of the United Blind in both print and braille.

We would like to thank the following: 

-Director Wharton and the Iowa Department for the Blind for giving us a place to hold our donations. 

-The Iowa Blindness Empowerment and Independence Center and YATP students for volunteering with us, helping us to collect, sort and pack items.

-IDB staff for their support, with a special thank you to Randy and Janice for keeping our items secure and for assisting us with dates, times, rooms, tables, and carts, and to Karen for helping us to make our holiday cards ours.

-Delta Gamma for their large donation of socks.  Because of them, each resident has an extra pair to keep their feet warm this season.

-The Ankeny Hy-Vee for their donation of heavy-duty boxes.

-Linda Gonzales for her strong organizational skills, attention to detail and promptness in making sure the bills are paid.

-Kathleen Trujillo for all of her time spent researching, ordering, organizing, and picking up and delivering pantry items. 

-Pack the Pantry Committee of Lori, Shad, Carrie, Bettina, and Thomas.  For their thoughtfulness, time and commitment toward this campaign.

-Our volunteers that participated on December 9th.  Especially Shad, Kay, Steve, Brett, Lori, Linda, Matt, Rick, Cody, Allen, Carrie, Aaron, and the Center and transition students from the Department.  A number of you put in a 10-hour day unpacking and sorting mail carts, creating our laundry, S.O.S. and candy bags, stamping and adding braille to our cards, building boxes, working the assembly lines, checking expiration dates, packing boxes and trucks and delivering our items.

-Lastly, to all of you for your kindness and generosity.  Your thoughtfulness was evident, and without you this would not have been possible. 

"We make a living by what we get.  We make a life by what we give."

 Winston Churchill

Sincerely,

Pack the Pantry Committee