SVSU’s Female Empowerment and Multicultural Education RSO, or FEME, is currently running a hygiene drive for the residents of domestic violence shelters Midland Shelterhouse and The Underground Railroad.
“We’re making care kits… drawstring bags with all the necessities [for hygiene],” said Hannah Campbell, Senior psychology student and philanthropy chair for FEME. They intend to see their kits handed out to new arrivals, to ease the burden of shopping.
The hygiene drive will take place from now until the end of the semester, and drop-off boxes are located in the library, the office of Student Life, the Mental Health and Wellness Center, and several other places. Monetary donations are also being accepted through Venmo.
Lizzy Kennedy is the Outreach Coordinator for Midland Shelterhouse, one of two shelters receiving these kits. “So many of the folks who stay in our shelter, they’re just leaving with the clothes on their back,” she states. “They’re leaving in the middle of the night… without their abuser’s knowledge. These [hygiene products] are necessities that our clients can’t necessarily afford.”
Karen Sova, development director for The Underground Railroad in Saginaw, mentions that these products “help restore at least some of the dignity and comfort that they might have otherwise”.
The Midland Shelterhouse was founded in 1976 and sees somewhere between 150 and 200 residents per year, according to Kennedy. They serve survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Midland and Gladwin, providing shelter as well as legal advocacy, counseling, and Sexual Assault Nursing Examinations.
The Midland Shelterhouse serves survivors from many backgrounds. Kennedy states, “Under the umbrella of domestic violence and sexual assault is all forms of abuse, not just physical violence, but also emotional, psychological, verbal and financial abuse.”
The Underground Railroad is a domestic violence shelter in Saginaw that was founded in 1977. They offer shelter, as well as court support, advocacy and counseling groups, and housing assistance. The organization serves survivors of domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault and human slavery.
When asked why these two locations were chosen, Campbell states, “We chose The Underground Railroad because it’s in our backyard. At the same time, we wanted (to help)… a shelter somewhere else.”
Sova notes that domestic violence is especially visible in Saginaw. “We don’t think that domestic violence is more prevalent here…but we do know that Saginaw County and Saginaw City specifically has a high rate of poverty… victims in poverty are more likely to reach out to victim service agencies or the police than people who have the resources to get a hotel or travel.”
“Every single person you meet… is either a survivor themselves or know someone who is,” Kennedy said. “These issues might be happening behind closed doors, but they’re affecting all of us”.
