A community initiative started by local Gennette Parn is her way of getting new undergarments to those in need.
Parn has lived in Guelph for the last 17 years and before she retired she worked in emergency shelters helping women who were in domestic violence situations in Orangeville and Kitchener.
She has seen first-hand the impacts of people in these situations. In some cases women would come into the shelter with just a plastic bag of their things. She knows there is a need for undergarments.
Parn has donated coats before so she thought why not new undergarments too.
“I wouldn't want to wear any underwear that was used, or the wrong size, or a bit discoloured,” said Parn.
Thrift stores can be hit or miss for undergarments like bras she said having experienced taking a look at what is available. “It must be so hard when you go into thrift stores trying to find your size,” Parn said.
On a local level she plans to collect new undergarments with tags from people who are able to donate them within Guelph. Once she has a sizable amount, about two sacs full she will give them to churches in Guelph that give clothing items out for free.
She will collect donations of new bras, sports bras, underwear of any type including boxers and a variety of sizes of all. This way people can find their size and undergarments that suit them.
To donate and arrange pick-ups within Guelph you can email Parn at [email protected]. She will begin pick-ups starting Nov. 2.
If her initiative takes off she plans to also bring the undergarments to shelters in Guelph. She hopes it turns into an annual initiative.
Part of what helped her come up with the idea is when she purchased a bra from Canadian undergarment company Knix. The bra didn’t fit and when she tried to return it she said the company told her to keep the bra to give to someone else. The Knix website said it encourages customers to donate their Knix bras instead of returning them as part of its Positive Returns Program.
It spurred Parn to do it in a local capacity on her own.
“I feel it will be successful. I hope it will be successful,” said Parn.
If the donations don’t take off she plans to reach out to big box stores to see if she can get donations that way.
Eventually, she wants to have a name for the initiative and welcomes people to email her some suggestions.
