Suffolk News-Herald

Suffolk’s Geneive Shelter is dedicated to protecting battered and abused women and their children from abusive environments. Many of the women escape from their violent situations without any pre-planning, meaning that they have neither money nor possessions.

When they appear at the Geneive Shelter in Suffolk with their mothers, most children have almost nothing of a personal nature, having arrived virtually empty-handed. They are suddenly in an environment that is strange and frightening, where they have come very hurriedly, often at night. They have just escaped a threatening situation in their home, and they face an uncertain future.

To help calm them, and to provide them with a little comfort, Kiwanis &uot;Young Children Priority One&uot; chairwoman Marilyn Boone organized a program to help ease their transition into the safety of the shelter. Her committee prepares gift packets of toiletry essentials, and attaches a stuffed animal to each package. The toiletries include toothpaste, hand lotion, a toothbrush, soap, and shampoo. Through this small gift, she hopes to allay some of their fears, let them know that other people in the community care about them, and at the same time, she hopes to encourage good hygiene.

Boone hopes that many of Suffolk’s citizens will care enough about these children to support her efforts. She will accept gifts in any quantity of the toiletries, or cash donations of any amount to purchase the needed items. In order to be able to deduct financial contributions on Federal Income Tax forms, checks should be made to the Suffolk Kiwanis Foundation. They can be handed to any Kiwanis member, or mailed to P.O. Box 1572, Suffolk, Va. 23439. Other donations can be dropped off at the club’s meeting place – The Garden Buffet in front of Suffolk Shopping center. Marilyn Boone will answer any questions from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM from her desk at Planters. Call 925-3030.