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Contact: NANCY STOUDENMIRE
For Immediate Release 803.254.3886 ext. 213
MACH collecting Personal Care Kits
Community Assistance is NeededThe Midlands Area Consortium for the Homeless (MACH) will conduct a street count of homeless individuals in Richland and Lexington Counties on January 24th, 2013, as part of the 2013 Point-In-Time Count coordinated by South Carolina Homeless Coalition. The Point-In-Time Count is a one-night survey of homeless persons in every county in the state. In 2011 Point in Time study, MACH identified 1,180 individuals who were homeless in Richland and Lexington Counties. MACH distributes hygiene kits to people who are surveyed for the Point in Time Count and is asking the community to help provide those kits. Each kit should include: toothpaste, toothbrush, plastic razor, travel sized shampoo and soap, travel sized lotion and travel sized hand sanitizer. Each kit should also include at least one of the following items: new socks (men or women), new washcloth new underwear (men or women). “This is a great, time-limited but very helpful project for local congregations, civic groups, or other leadership groups to tackle,” said Nancy Stoudenmire, MACH member and kit coordinator. “And while it may seem like a small thing, meeting these very basic needs of people who are still on the street is important for engaging folks into services,” Stoudenmire added.Completed kits should be put into quart or gallon size zip-lock bags and dropped off by January 16 at the Columbia Housing Authority (1917 Harden Street, Columbia, SC 29204), United Way of the Midlands (1800 Main St. Columbia, SC 29201) or Leaphart Place (2815 Leaphart Road, West Columbia, SC 29169).The MACH is a 501©3 organization created in 1994 that serves as the local body in the Midlands to provide a bridge between the homeless population and the community through education, planning, advocacy and services. The MACH covers the counties of: Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Calhoun, Chester, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lancaster, Lexington, Orangeburg, Newberry, Richland and York. For more information, please call NANCY STOUDENMIRE at nstoudenmire@chasc.org or 803.254.3886-30-