One Door Polk hosting Hygiene Drive in Cedartown

A county-to-county challenge is underway between Polk and Bartow between the Tallatoona CAP programs to see who can bring in the most donations for hygiene products during a donation drive through August 9.

HRDC Services Coordinator Jennifer Norwood said in an email that her home county of Bartow’s program inspired her to take the idea and bring it to Polk County and begin a friendly competition between the two to see who can bring in the most hygiene items to help those in need.

It’ll only be for bragging rights, Norwood said, and is really all about helping neighbors in need.

“Hygiene items are a huge necessity for those in all our communities. Those that maybe on limited incomes such as seniors, those that maybe struggling through a hardship that has them in a place that they never dreamed they would be in,” Norwood said. “Especially those low income families that are trying to overcome a life of poverty that with maybe the right resources working together and the kindness and empathy of those in their community that could donate things like these items that food stamps and most community resources don’t ever assist with.”

Three donation locations are available now and are taking items like shampoo and conditioner, dental care products, deodorant, razors, feminine hygiene products, toilet paper and any type of laundry supplies. Primarily the items are being collected at One Door Polk’s Tallatoona CHINS entrance at 424 N. Main St. in Cedartown.

Additional locations are also setup in Rockmart at the Ramsey Run Apartments from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays only at 100 Ramsey Road, or at the Tallatoona Head Start in Rockmart at 312 S. Piedmont Ave., during regular business hours. Call ahead to the Head Start at 770-684-5770.

Ramsey Run Apartments can be contacted at 770-6847772 if those interested in making a donation need to call ahead.

Norwood is also seeking others to act as donation dropoff locations, and she can be contacted at 770-817-4666 Extension 9 at the Polk HRDC office.

Monetary donations are also being accepted to help purchase additional hygiene products.

DONATION: Officer Jolie Blackmon, Graduate Polk Coordinator Lacey Tuck, and Officer Angelica Everett posed together after the pair of officers with the Department of Community Supervision gave back to the Polk School District Student Success Center in recent days. Local officers with the department gathered up donations of backpacks, paper, pens, pencils, rulers, glue, crayons, markers, colored pencils, scissors, snack food items, and hygiene supplies to give out to students for the 2019-2020 school year.