Sara Ostrander of Grand Junction is helping local victims of domestic violence feel supported and cared for with a donation of 100 personal hygiene kits to the Domestic/Sexual Assault Outreach Center (DSAOC) in Fort Dodge.
Ostrander is a senior consultant with Thirty-One Gifts, one of the world’s largest direct sales organizations, which has a philanthropic outreach called Thirty-One Gives.
She participated in a summer sales incentive for Thirty-One’s 100,00)-plus independent sales consultants throughout the U.S. As one of the winning consultants who achieved sales goals during two six-week periods, she was among 10 women whose names were drawn for special rewards.
One of those rewards was that a domestic violence shelter in her community would receive a donation of 100 Hope Kits in her name. The donation is being made in support of Thirty-One’s Standing Strong for Her campaign in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October. Thirty-One donated 1,000 Hope Kits to shelters nationwide in October.
Recently Thirty-One shipped 100 Hope Kits to the center. The kits include a Thirty-One travel bag embroidered with the word “Hope” and filled with essential hygiene supplies for women such as a toothbrush, shampoo, hairbrush, soap and a personalized note of encouragement written by a Thirty-One Gifts sales consultant.
Thirty-One, in partnership with World Vision, has assembled and shipped thousands of Hope Kits to women’s shelters in the past year.
The DSAOC was selected by the National Network to End Domestic Violence, with whom Thirty-One worked to identify a local shelter in its network to receive the donation.
The DSAOC was formed in 1992 and is a crisis-based shelter servicing victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, violent crimes and survivors of homicide victims. Its service area covers 20 counties. Services include counseling; safety planning; transportation; basic needs; court advocacy; information, education and referrals; housing, job-seeking; and crisis intervention. All services are free and confidential.
“We are so very thankful for this generous donation from Thirty-One Gifts,” said DSAOC executive director Brenda McBride. “Many of our clients come to stay with us and have few possessions with them. A Thirty-One kit will be given to our clients shortly after they begin their journey at DSAOC. We feel very fortunate that Thirty-One has chosen our agency and our clients as recipients of this gift.” ~The Scranton Journal
