Dot Kersten's garage in Barrack Heights looks like something between a Priceline Pharmacy and an Athlete's Foot warehouse.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Over the past six months, Illawarra Quota members have collected about 300 shoeboxes and buckets full of toiletries and cosmetics to donate to the Happy Box Project, a charity set up to provide self-care items to women in remote corners of the country.
The group gathered in Mrs Kersten's garage on Friday to fill empty shoeboxes with self-care items, a lipstick or a nail polish, bottles of shampoo and conditioners, sanitary products, inspiration messages and more.
"It's a nice little box for women who in the past would never have got anything like this given to them, or it's very hard to obtain because they're so far away from local shops," Quota president Suzie Young said.
Collecting the personal products - and the lovingly decorated shoeboxes to pack them in - has been an all-consuming labour of love for the fundraising and social club.
They wrote away to various companies with varying degrees of success, approached local pharmacies and engaged community groups such as the Men's Shed at Kanahooka.
"We got our supplies from a wide range of avenues and, of course, our members, who brought along products every time we had a meeting," Mrs Young said.
The newlywed even asked guests to donate shoeboxes and toiletries in lieu of wedding gifts when she got married five weeks ago.
"We must have got 50 boxes, some were decorated beautifully, while quite a few people gave us a big bucket full of shampoos and conditioners, so we've been able to make 60 boxes," she said.
"We're still on a cloud with the response we've had."
The next part of the plan will see the women load up two utes and deliver the gifts to the Gunnedah branch of the Happy Box Project.
"We're looking forward to delivering the boxes at the end of the month," Mrs Young said.
"I'm sure the response we will get will be totally overwhelming. What we're hoping long term is that we create a connection to the group.
"There's six of us going; we'll have a carload of ladies plus the ladies in the utes so it's going to be one hell of a ride."
We depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support.
