By Renee Larr
The Fishers Government Alumni Association recently partnered with Winslow Facial Plastic Surgery to benefit the Fall Creek Township and Delaware Township food pantries. FGAA is a group of individuals who graduated from the City Government Academy in Fishers. CGA teaches an eight-week course for interested individuals about the inner workings of city government.
“A small number of us in the FGAA wanted to fill a need in the community that wasn’t already being filled, and we came up with helping the food pantries. We came through the government, so this is part of the government of our area. After we were dealing with the food pantries for about six months, we started asking them what they really needed,” said M.E. Barwacz, FGAA member.
The need came in the way of personal care items. Food pantries often receive food items but not enough items like shampoo, deodorant, laundry detergent, etc.
“Personal care items are often overlooked. It’s really important that people donate the things they buy for themselves and their families,” Barwacz said. “Too often it becomes a clean-out your cabinets type thing. They need deodorant, shampoo, laundry detergent, feminine care products, body wash, aging incontinence products. That stuff is expensive.”
FGAA Pantry Partners were put in touch with WFPS, who asked clients to donate items just before the holiday season.
“Julie Sharp from Winslow Facial Plastic Surgery told us they have so many clients that come in through the holidays. She suggested they do a holiday drive,” Barwacz said.
The Pantry Partners held the Make It Personal Drive in the spring of 2016, but also wanted to partner with area businesses to assist the pantries. The combination of the spring and holiday drives have been so successful that they will have another drive April 21 to 28.