Ladysmith community donates toilet paper in charity drive
The Arts Council seeks to support the most needy in the locality, promoting solidarity and mutual aid
The Ladysmith and District Arts Council is celebrating the success of its “Love” campaign this month. Initially conceived as a literary project for February, aimed at poets, the campaign has evolved to include the creation of valentines. Kathy Holmes, past president of the arts council, explained, “This year we added the idea that maybe the food bank could use a little love, too.”
The project was initiated in collaboration with Kathleen Hall, an art teacher at Ladysmith High School, who got involved with her students in creating more than 50 valentines. In addition, more than 110 artists from the arts council contributed their own cards. In total, nearly 200 cards were designed for distribution to Ladysmith Resource Center clients and the food bank.
The initiative was not limited to Valentine’s Day cards. Recognizing a real need in the community, it was decided to collect toiletries, primarily toilet paper. This effort began with cash donations from several city council members, which allowed for the initial purchase of toilet paper at cost price from Pharmasave.
The campaign gained momentum with additional toilet paper donations from a creative fabric art group called Woolies and the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 606. In addition, students and staff at Ladysmith High School joined in, collecting 650 rolls of toilet paper in just two weeks as part of a school-wide campaign.
Community involvement was critical to the success of the campaign. Save-On-Foods, a local supermarket, contributed by offering a half-price discount on 48-packs of toilet paper rolls to help increase donations. Store manager Bill Coghlan expressed his continued commitment to the cause.
In addition to toilet paper, the arts council is also collecting non-perishable food items, such as salmon, tuna, soup and canned fruit, through the end of the month. The Ladysmith community is united in an effort to help those who need it most, demonstrating the power of love and solidarity in difficult times.
