Hope Soap's 'We Send Hope' Katrina drive seeks donations until Friday

Editor:

Hope Soap, a charitable organization that is the sister to the It's Spooky To Be Hungry food drive, is continuing to collect toiletries for shipment to Hurricane Katrina relief in the 'We Send Hope' campaign. Donations are welcome at public collection sites and through group drives until Friday.

This effort is going very well, with a strong response from all over the community. In addition to the generous donations coming into our public collection sites, there are many associated toiletry drives taking place.

Most donations are from anonymous individuals and groups, but special thanks go to our partner collection sites, and to: the Tomberlin Business Group; A Cut Above Salon; Dr. Andy Chandler; Augusta Preparatory Day School, Appletree Academy; Cumming Grove Baptist Church Missionary Society; Episcopal Day School; First Baptist Church of Augusta; Ft. Gordon Dental Command; Greenbrier Middle School; Hammond Hills Elementary School; Kingdom Life Fellowship; North Columbia Elementary School; the Rivershyre neighborhood; Stevens Creek Elementary School; and the Stratford neighborhood.

If you or your group would like to do an associated toiletry drive, please contact Hope Soap via our web site: www.spookytobehungry.org.

We are collecting new personal care items including razors, soap, shampoo, toothbrushes and toothpaste, women's sanitary supplies, diapers, wipes and related toiletries. Travel sizes and hotel amenities are welcome. Monetary donations are not accepted.

Your contribution can be brought to any of the following Hope Soap partner sites:

Columbia County News Times office, 4272-3B Washington Road, Evans Towne Center;

Wild Birds Unlimited, 3820 Washington Road, West Town shopping center, Martinez;

North Augusta Chamber of Commerce, 302 Georgia Ave.;

First Bank of Georgia, 110 Each Hill Street, Thomson;

Unitarian Universalist Church of Augusta, 3501 Walton Way, Augusta;

Golden Harvest Food Bank, 3310 Commerce Drive, Augusta;

Junior League of Augusta Office, Surrey Center, 363 Highland Ave., Augusta;

Rex Construction, 307 11th Street, Augusta; and,

Morris Museum of Art, 1 10th Street, Augusta.

We still need additional volunteers to help sort and pack the many pounds of donated items on Saturday and Sunday at Golden Harvest Food Bank. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact us via our Web site: www.spookytobehungry.org, or call 733-6142.

Evelyn Browne

Augusta

(Evelyn Browne is CEO of Big Changes Start Small, Inc., the non-profit organization that is the parent of Hope Soap and It's Spooky To Be Hungry.)