Nov 28, 2022

Stuff the Bus is coming up Saturday

Posted Nov 28, 2022 4:09 PM

NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — BrightHouse, in partnership with Eagle Media and Dillons Marketplace will Stuff the Bus on Saturday, December 3 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. This annual food and fundraiser fills the pantry for the winter at the BrightHouse Safe Shelter House.

"We gather food and gift cards and money and cleaning supplies, to feed people in our shelter," said Sue Wray with BrightHouse. "This year our shelter has been twice as busy as it was the year before. We've had more than twice the people in shelters."

You can make a difference for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault by donating commonly used items throughout that day at Dillons. BrightHouse volunteers will be standing by with carts to fill and pile into a bus supplied by Durham Bus company. Non-perishable food items and household items are requested, and Dillons Gift Cards are greatly appreciated, too!

"What we need is non-perishable food items," Wray said. "We've got a list. It's canned vegetables and meats, boxed dinner helpers, granola bars, breakfast bars and cereal, snacks and crackers and rice, potato and pasta side dishes. Also, a lot of facial tissues, paper towels, toilet paper all that kind of things and then, cleaning supplies. We keep the shelter supplied with that kind of stuff pretty well through a lot of the year. It really makes a big difference. People are very generous."

Wray isn't exactly sure why, but there are a lot of pressures on relationships these days.

"Domestic abuse never starts with money," Wray said. "It always starts with deeper problems there. I think there are a lot of things. I think inflation and those pressures have contributed to the pressures that create those kinds of abuse issues. We didn't realize it, but I think people were a little hesitant to go to a shelter during COVID, you know, when it was really a problem. We maybe didn't realize it at the time. Also, what is causing our shelter to be more full. People are staying longer, because the rents are so high. It's harder for us to get people into new housing. We've got landlords that work with us. They are wonderful, but, you know, as rents go up, that just means women who are in our shelter, who are looking for a new place to live, it costs more, so it's taking them longer."

Where a typical stay used to be days or weeks, now it's taking about three months to get a permanent place for families to stay.

The 24-7 crisis line is (620) 663-2522. The BrightHouse office line is (620) 665-3630.