Ruth’s Place in need of essential items

WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — An emergency women’s shelter in Luzerne County is gaining attention on social media after it posted a call out for help with donations.

Scrolling through social media, users see billions of posts and links getting shared on Facebook a day.

For non-profits like Ruth’s Place in Wilkes-Barre, a post can help spread the word.

“Every little bit counts and goes a long way,” said Crystal Kotlowski, senior director of Volunteers of America of PA NEPA.

A little number of clicks turned into a lot on one of the page’s posts, asking for donations of essential items like deodorant, shampoo, and body wash.

“We were excited to see such a volume of response to a simple request for some support to make sure that our women have all of the personal care items that they need to beat this intense heat that we’ve been having,” stated Kotlowski.

The non-profit, located on North Pennsylvania Avenue and Butler Street is the only 24/7 emergency shelter for women experiencing homelessness in the county, continuously growing since it opened in 2003.

Ruth’s Place helped more than 200 women last year alone. Kotlowski says that the uptick in numbers is partly due to the nationwide housing crisis.

“For a simple apartment you need to make three times the rent and you know, have perfect credit and pay for an application fee and all these things that when you’re a person who’s in poverty or you’re experiencing homelessness, these are not easy asks,” explained Kotlowski.

Kotlowski says they are asking for the community’s help with donations to help those they serve to look and feel their best for a job interview or finding a permanent home.

“They can’t do that if they don’t have everything they need to take care of themselves so we put the question out there and we’re so grateful for the outpouring of support we’ve seen from the community,” said Kotlowski.

If you’d like to drop off donations – you can do so at its location on North Pennsylvania Avenue and Butler Street in Wilkes-Barre or head to its Ruth’s Place Amazon wishlist .

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