MOOSE JAW — The Moose Jaw Multicultural Council (MJMC) and the Moose Jaw Newcomer Welcome Centre are holding an ongoing hygiene product drive to help support Moose Jaw’s newest residents this January.
The hygiene product drive began on Jan. 13 and will conclude on Friday, Jan. 31.
“All the products that get donated to the MJMC are included in our welcome packages that we give to every new refugee family that arrives in Moose Jaw,” announced Sharayah Bjelde, community connections co-ordinator for the MJMC.
“The reason why we decided to do a hygiene product drive is because we are (now) running low on some of our hygiene products,” she added.
All donations will be used for the organizations’ newcomer welcome packages that include products like shampoo and conditioner, soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes, deodorant, baby products, diapers, and even warm winter clothing and some cooking essentials like pots, pans, and dinnerware.
These kits play a valuable role in helping newcomers get established in Moose Jaw.
“Lots of (these newcomers), when they first come… the only thing they come with is the clothes on their backs,” Bjelde said, noting that it typically takes around one month before they receive their first financial support from the government.
“So, we use our donated hygiene products to provide them with everyday essential items that they need for these first few weeks. Other than (these) hygiene products, we also provide them with clothing (and other essentials)… (and) we do our best to support them with all of their basic needs,” she said.
According to Bjelde, the newcomer welcome packages are typically distributed to around 20 to 30 families annually and each family can average upwards of five to 10 members to provide for. Since November 2024 alone, she said around five such families arrived in the city.
Bjelde said support from the community has been “very good” so far, and the complementary Warm Hearts campaign led by the Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council saw approximately 80 jackets donated from its drop-off location at The Wandering Market in Moose Jaw. Of these, most have already been distributed by the MJMC.
“They (Warm Hearts campaign volunteers) were repairing used winter jackets and then donating them to various organizations in Moose Jaw,” she explained. “We got lots of support from them, which is wonderful because that’s another thing we’re always in need of — warm winter items for families that arrive in the wintertime.”
One specific item that has been underrepresented so far is warm winter boots and, Bjelde noted, “other than hygiene products, our donation room is actually quite well stocked which is wonderful.”
In her concluding remarks, Bjelde said, “We are just looking for help from community members in Moose Jaw who have been very generous in the past. We’re hoping that we’ll be able to collect some more items for our newer families coming soon (to the city).”
All donations can be dropped off in person at the MJMC office, located in St. Andrew’s United Church at 60 Athabasca Street East anytime on Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. As some items tend to accumulate quicker than others and may no longer be requested, residents are asked to contact the organization before donating.
The MJMC office can be reached at 306-693-4677 and the Newcomer Welcome Centre can be reached at 306-692-6892.
For more information visit MJMCInc.ca or ‘Moose Jaw Multicultural Centre’ on Facebook and MJNWC.ca or ‘Moose Jaw Newcomer Welcome Centre’ on Facebook.
