Salamander Bay Recycling helps women in need through Share the Dignity

Community members donated a staggering 4770 individual items, including pads and tampons, at the Salamander Bay Recycling collection point in April.

“We were shocked when we were told it was the largest collection in the state,” Salamander Bay Recycling general manager Gerard McClafferty said.

“It’s going to help a lot of women which is lovely.”

Salamander Bay Recycling signed on to the initiative when it learned about the hardship women in Australia continue to live with especially those who have fled violent partners. Share the Dignity was established in Brisbane last year and recently landed in Port Stephens with collection points also at Coles Nelson Bay, Priceline Raymond Terrace and Blooms the Chemist at Marketplace.

Share the Dignity actively fights the ‘tampon tax’ since these items are a luxury item under the goods and services tax.

“The support we’ve received here is just phenomenal,” Share the Dignity Port Stephens coordinator Sami Byrne said.

“We’re quite a small region compared to others but we’ve rallied to help women in need.” 

Share the Dignity will present the items to Nelson Bay’s Yacaaba Centre which often helps homeless women who are often the victims of domestic violence.

“These items are vital but they’re sadly the last thing on the list for some women,” Yacaaba manager Lynn Vatner said.

“For these women having to ‘make do’ with other items is dreadful.”

Yacaaba gives out food hampers every week to women in need and includes sanitary items when in stock.

“You can imagine how hard it is for those mums with three or four daughters,” Ms Vatner said.

Salamander Bay Recycling has started a new collection for August that people can donate to. The not-for-profit facility has already donated $26,000 this financial year to various community groups not to mention in-kind donations.

Share the Dignity is after Port Stephens volunteers. To help out go to their Facebook page or check out the Share the Dignity app.