WIRC-Community Action Agency (WIRC) is excited to announce the agency received a $2,900 Spark Good local grant from Walmart Galesburg (Store #775). This grant will help to provide emergency hygiene items like toilet paper, shampoo, and toothpaste to adults and children in need, through WIRC’s Care Market program.
WIRC officials say people with low incomes often have to make difficult decisions, when they cannot afford hygiene items.
“Several customers – not just one – told us they had to use restaurant napkins as toilet paper, before they were enrolled in our hygiene program,” said Jamie Roth, WIRC’s Community Services & Public Relations Director. “Others were using rags because they could not afford feminine pads on their fixed income. We are thankful for this Spark Good grant from Galesburg Walmart, as it will help us immensely with purchasing critical hygiene items in bulk.”
WIRC currently assists over 200 households in Knox County with hygiene products, when they cannot afford to buy them on their own. Many households are retirees living on fixed incomes, disabled individuals, or working families. The program is currently at enrollment capacity, through the end of the year.
“We are thankful to partner with Walmart Galesburg on such a practical, meaningful need in our community,” said Stacy Nimmo, Chief Executive Officer of WIRC-Community Action Agency. “Because this funding stays in Galesburg and the surrounding area, it goes straight back to local households, providing essential hygiene items that help families live with dignity.”
Funding for the Care Market program is provided in part by the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO). Supplemental funding is provided through local grants and donations.
For more information about Care Market, call 309-837-5115, email caremarket@wirpc.org, find WIRC-Community Action Agency on social media, or visit their website at https://wirpc.org/.
WIRC’s branch office in Galesburg is located at 313 East Main Street and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (closed on holidays). WIRC is an equal opportunity provider and employer.