Already delivering meals to homebound residents in need, the Brownwood Senior Citizens Center is now organizing a personal hygiene pantry to aid seniors who may not be able to afford such items.

“We sent a mass questionnaire out to the homebound delivery people and asked them what necessities they might need and not be able to afford,” Brownwood Senior Citizens Center Program Director Angie Dees said. “So now if someone is at home and they call and say they’re really low on cash this week, they don’t have any paper towels or toilet paper or soap, things like that, then we’ll bag it up for them, give it to the driver and the driver will deliver it to them when they deliver the meal.”

Donations of such items are being accepted at the Senior Citzens Center, located at 110 South Greenleaf, as well as other locations around the city such as Big Lots, United Supermarket, Walmart, Brookeshire’s, and others.

“Our campaign idea this year was to stock the pantry,” Dees said. “We’re hoping to stock the pantry through the campaign and what we get from a grant we’ll be able to sustain the pantry.”

The program originated through the Subaru Share the Love Campaign through Meals on Wheels America, of which the Senior Citizens Center is associated.

“Basically what we’re going to do is we’re part of Meals on Wheels America, we’re affiliated with them and they do a Subaru Share the Love campaign each year,” Dees said. “Anyone who purchases or leases a Subaru, the person buying or leasing has the ability to tell Subaru where they want to donate $250. Meals on Wheels America is one of those charities so what they do is anyone affiliated with Meals on Wheels America and is in good standing with them, as long as they help promote that they can get a piece of that pie. So at the end whoever participated and turns in the reports, they divide the money and share it with the Meals on Wheels America site.”