RCI Pacific helps Australian women in crisis

RCI Asia Pacific is helping homeless women in Australia by supporting a number of initiatives from the Share The Dignity charity, including its innovative #ItsInTheBag Christmas collection.

There are approximately 85,000 homeless women in Australia, many have fled domestic violence or are experiencing extreme poverty through no fault of their own. They live on the streets, in cars, parks or if they are lucky – a refuge.

Most do not have access to basic toiletries like soap, toothpaste, shampoo or sanitary items. Share The Dignity is an Australian women’s charity that brings dignity to homeless, at-risk and women experiencing domestic violence through distribution of sanitary items.

#ItsInTheBag is Share The Dignity’s Christmas collection to help vulnerable women in crisis to experience some small Christmas joy. Donors can contribute to #ItsInTheBag by filling handbags with pads and tampons, personal hygiene products and everyday luxuries to homeless women, women at risk or women experiencing domestic violence.

RCI’s “bag ladies”, from left: Tania Riddell, business development and affiliate services executive; Tanya Lord, business development account executive; and Tracey Goll, resort services consultant

Tanya Lord, business development executive for RCI in the Pacific region, encouraged her colleagues in the RCI Gold Coast office to join the #ItsInTheBag initiative.

She said: “We weren’t looking for large monetary commitments from staff, but to just contribute within their means, through small toiletry items (that we often take for granted) as well as handbags once a month.”

Lord said the initiative had been running since April and was a “way to directly help these women and bring them a little happiness this Christmas”.

The DAE team in the Gold Coast and RCI team in Singapore also chimed in to donate handbags to support this initiative. The Pacific office filled more than 70 bags for its donation.