This past month, the Heritage Lions Club has been collecting various items needed for the Charis House in Fort Wayne. The Charis House is a unit of the Rescue Mission that helps women and children facing a homeless crisis, providing a safe haven for women and children as they recover from trauma, addiction, and self-defeating choices they have made in the past. The program provides spiritual, emotional, physical and educational needs for these women and children.
When the Lions contacted the Charis House, they expressed some specific needs of these women as they enter the facility, as they usually bring nothing of their own. These include leggings and T-shirts, which they can wear to both sleep in and wear during the day. They also needed towels, washcloths, and personal hygiene products. The Lions were able to purchase 50 pair of new leggings, 75 T-shirts, 24 towels, and 36 wash cloths. They also purchased several bottles of shampoo, conditioners, lotions, deodorants, razors, and fingernail clippers. The Heritage Lions thank Thrivent for the Community Impact Card to kick-start the project and Arlen Horsewood, DDS, who donated several oral hygiene products such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, and dental floss. Charis House expressed their gratitude for these much-needed items.