Education is Your Passport

“As a recipient of the Education Is Your Passport Scholarship and the Legacy HBCU Scholarship, I cannot express enough gratitude for the opportunities afforded to me by Giving Hope & Help. By not only alleviating a financial burden but providing me with the resources I need in order to have a successful future, this scholarship has been a blessing for me. The items I received have been a great help for my college journey. I no longer have to worry about purchasing a computer, bedding or hygiene products, all of which are essential in helping me achieve my higher education. I have also been connected with resources that will help me manage my finances, provide mentoring, and internships that will help me build my career. I am confident that the skills, knowledge, and experiences given to me will have a lasting impact on my future endeavors as I embark on my educational journey. I am deeply grateful for the opportunities and support provided by Giving Hope & Help. I am honored that I am a recipient of these scholarships and I will continue to uphold their values in hopes that one day I can contribute everything back. Thank you for choosing me as a scholarship recipient.”

Period Products Movement/Domestic Violence Advocacy

“On behalf of the women and children of Genesis Women’s Shelter, I would like to thank you for your incredible donation of 9,660 itemized feminine hygiene products! We are exceedingly grateful that you would be so mindful of the needs of the children and women serve. By standing alongside us, you have made the hope of a safer and stronger life possible for the women and children who will turn to Genesis for help this year. Your gift will assist our clients as they make the courageous decision to start anew

“Thank you for reaching out with your in-kind contribution of 8,116 sanitary napkins and 1,984 toiletries that you valued at $7,530.00 received in our offices on 12/20/15. Your kind gift will not only make a tangible difference in our efforts to serve the thousands of women and children who pass through our doors with safety and support, but will also help provide them with hope. Thank you for your generosity and hope.”

“Newhouse was privileged to partner with Giving Help & Hope in 2015! Your organization is dedicated to providing support to victims of domestic violence through collections of feminine hygiene care products. The women we serve, often arrive at our door with nothing but the clothes they are wearing, and many times with one or more children. The care items provided at this year’s drive and donated to Newhouse, had a total value of $5,784.25. This will directly impact our operating budget by allowing funds that would have been used to purchase these basic necessities to now be used for therapy, education for women and children, and other unforeseen costs that can arise when caring for so many in a facility that operates 24/7, 365 days a year. In addition, women in shelter have very little or no income and by having hygiene care items provided, they can now use their limited finances for other needs. Giving Help and Hope helps restore our residents’ sense of dignity and self-worth, and make this very difficult time of their lives a bit easier to manage. Often overlooked, is the fact that daughters accompanying their mothers are in the age range that would need these items too. Having dealt with the trauma of violence, relocating to safe shelter, and leaving most personal items behind, now comes the added stress of meeting this need for young teens and adolescents. Newhouse is grateful for the support of Giving Help & Hope and helping to meet our mission “to break the cycle of domestic violence by providing the tools that allow women (and their children) to make positive choices and lead selfsufficient lives.” Thank you for partnering with us to accomplish this important work!”

Hope Haven of Cass County was honored to attend the Giving Hope & Help 4th Annual Feminine Hygiene Product Drive in Kansas City. Hope Haven received an abundance of hygiene products. These products allow for individuals to have a choice. Providing familiar feminine hygiene products empowers women and allows for one less worry in their transition to the shelter atmosphere and to a more enriched life. Because of Giving Hope & Help, every survivor at Hope Haven now receives their choice of feminine hygiene products and we could not be more grateful. The Kansas City Metropolitan area and surrounding areas are very fortunate to have a supportive community agency that benefits so many women in this area.

Jessica, I want to send my thank you and gratitude for hosting the feminine hygiene drive. I made a donation of 7 boxes of tampons and 2 boxes of sanitary pads. I drove from Lawrence to make the donations because this drive touched my heart. My mother and I were homeless throughout my childhood and I remember the painful embarrassment of lacking these items when going through puberty. Then, when one of the football players accepted my donations and walked me to the wall of the donations, I was completely taken aback. I found myself tearing up from happiness. Thank you again! I'm grateful individuals like you exist and make the world a better place!

My mother lives with schizophrenia and in my childhood, was untreated. Maintaining employment was nearly impossible for my mother. Her mental health issue was a catalyst to our poverty that caused us to be homeless many times in our childhood. Poverty is an issue close to my heart given my childhood. I'm 30 and live a standard middle-class lifestyle. I feel this responsibility to ensure that I don't forget where I come from and to give back to women walking this road I once walked. It's my goal to start supporting local entities over issues that matter to me: poverty and the betterment of women.

Days before I found out about this drive, I was discussing the management of menstruation while in poverty and the embarrassment you feel. I found this online subscription for tampons, https://consciousperiod.com/ that donates a box of tampons to homeless women for every box purchased. And then, on 103.3, I heard about this drive. I knew I had to participate given my recent discussions.

I'm deeply grateful for this drive. I was overly sensitive when I was at the drive because of the personal connection, that I doubt I could have held a conversation without crying. The football players picking-up the donations was perfection. I was so taken back by their maturity.

Please let me know if you need volunteers for future drives. I want to help.

I'm going to school full-time at JCCC to get an associate’s degree in Information Systems and I work nights as a computer operations technician at a bank. I stay busy! I am working towards my second degree, which I'm really proud of given my background. I will be registering as a volunteer to see what I can do to help in the future.

“Last year, SAFEHOME provided nearly 18,000 nights of safety for women and children fleeing violent homes. The need at SAFEHOME for feminine hygiene products is constant, though often overlooked by other community supporters. The drive being organized by Giving Hope & Help will help us address a real need at SAFEHOME.”

“More than thirty years ago Hope House opened its doors with one goal in mind—save lives by providing safe refuge for those affected by domestic violence. Since then, our approach has grown more comprehensive with services encompassing prevention, education and support for nearly 5,000 people traumatized by domestic violence every year. When women first come to Hope House, they often only have the clothes on their backs. We strive to welcome them by addressing some of the most basic needs; first, such as making sure they have the personal care items they need. Collections like the feminine hygiene product drive sponsored by Giving Hope & Help, helps us do just that by ensuring we have enough resources to fulfill clients’ needs.”

LOVE Bags 4 Cancer

"I was invited to the Annual Kelli Conner-Wilson "Warrior Women" Brunch, for Breast Cancer Survivors. It was truly an honor to be invited this year as a guest, as last year I was an honoree. My battle began January 25, 2019, and your organization Giving Hope & Help has been with me every step of the way.

During my journey your organization donated Cancer Love Bags, with crucial information and things to do and things to just make us feel better as we fight the good fight along with a CVS gift card to buy our meds for a few months was so appreciated. This year for the luncheon, since I'm on the other side, I got to help make bags for the honorees and just wanted to be there to support them. As we know, this battle stays with us for some time, so I wanted to do my part and uplift and encourage those that are going through or that have gone through. .

At this Brunch, Senator Barbara Anne Washington and Jessica McCallop-McClellan, Giving Hope & Help make sure we have a day of pampering, love, fun, rejoicing, great food and more. I was so amazed on my way out I was even gifted bags as a guest. I was truly grateful and have used all of my gifts and great information already. I love how Giving Hope & Help is relevant in so many things where care is needed. Caring about our world and young ladies having what they need, caring about young people and getting them help for a college education and caring about Breast Cancer and all Cancer patients and giving them love and care when they need it most. This is definitely an organization where you can see your donation hard at work. I am truly grateful for Jessica McCallop-McClellan and her ability to care so much; you can see her love and sincerity in all that she does through her organization Giving Hope & Help. Thank you all for what you do."

Sincerely

Thank you so much for thinking of me and for thinking of me for Valentine’s Day. The love package you mailed me filled with great goodies, truly touches my heart. It was very unexpected and filled my face with tears of joy and my heart with gladness of knowing an organization like yours cared that much to take the time to gather the goodies, purchase the goodies, package the goodies and mail the goodies for me.

I appreciate everything you and your team do for the community and for all of us.

Happy Valentine’s Day to you and your team!

Thank you!