(NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK) - Mountains of pillows and a roomful of toiletries greeted Passage House Domestic Violence Services Staff when they recently arrived at the City of Niagara Falls Department of Public Works. For the past six weeks, United Steelworkers (USW) Local 9434 and the Union’s Women of Steel Group have collected shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, body wash, combs, pillows and sheets for the Family & Children's Service of Niagara Program.  Most of the items were purchased and donated, while others were hand-made and personally delivered.

"We're ‘very grateful’ to be able to present these to you," USW Women of Steel Chairwoman Brook D'Angelo said.

Collection baskets were placed at the Department of Public Works, the City Clerk's Office and in the Departments of Human Resources, Community Development, Fire Administration, Water Board and Wastewater, and at the Main Street Library.

"This ‘means a lot,’" Passage House Director Larissa Bachman said. "We have people who come through who are survivors of domestic violence.  Sometimes they're coming in the middle of the night, sometimes they're coming in the day - and ‘they have nothing.’  ‘They'll take whatever they can, which is usually the clothes on their back.’  Sometimes they have some personal items, ‘but nothing like this.’  Because, ‘when you think of leaving, the last thing on your mind is shampoo and things like that.’  ‘Even a pillow to sleep on is extremely important.’  ‘This is going to help a lot of people.’"

Passage House is a 15-bed Domestic Violence Shelter serving Niagara Falls, North Tonawanda and Western Niagara County.  Its web site states the agency "provides free emergency shelter in a confidential location to individuals who are victims of domestic violence and their children. The shelter is staffed 24/7 and someone is available to respond to the needs of victims of domestic violence and their children any time of the day or night."

"We've ‘been the busiest we've ever been,’” Bachman said.  “We have ‘more’ on-calls. We have ‘more’ clients."

Now in its 25th year, the Shelter Staff has helped more than 120 people in 2017, while responding to more than 550 phone calls.

D'Angelo said she it was "heartbreaking" to learn of the need within the community. 

"I want to ‘make sure that every woman and every child has a pillow,’" she said.  "We are ‘grateful’ for Passage House ‘and all they do to serve our community.’  We ‘look forward to working with them again in the future.’  This is one of those collections ‘where need truly knows no season.’  We ‘hope that our efforts will supply the women and children of Passage House with comforts of home for months to come.’"

She noted 160 pillows were collected - up from 35 in 2016 - and "thousands" of toiletries were boxed and ready to be delivered.

"We're ‘just very appreciative,’” Bachman said.  “This ‘is going to help a lot’ of survivors and families - people who come through our doors and ‘really utilize’ our services.  We're a non-profit, so we ‘survive on donations and the community coming together.’  ‘That's why we're so appreciative, because we all have the same message and hope going forward that we can help survivors.’  ‘We wouldn't be able to do it without’ our community partners.  ‘This is just a great example of how awesome they are.’"

To Continue Reading This Labor News Report, Go To: www.wnypapers.com/news/article/featured/2017/12/18/130879/usw-women-of-steel-falls-workers-collect-items-for-victims-of-domestic-abuse