A Box of Essentials, an Expression of Care

In this week’s parish notices, the Eastbourne Catholic Women’s League is inviting us to support a collection for the local Women’s Refuge. Requested items include toiletries, deodorants, and underwear: everyday essentials that many of us rarely have to think twice about. (See download)

My wife has taken this appeal to heart and put together a box full of items. Seeing her response made me pause. A notice can so easily become something we read, acknowledge and then forget. Yet here was a simple act of kindness turning those few printed words into practical help.

Having worked as a paramedic, I am acutely aware of the difficulties women facing domestic abuse can experience. Leaving an abusive situation can be frightening and complicated, with uncertainty about safety, family and the future. Reaching a place of refuge is an important step, but it does not mean those difficulties are suddenly over.

At such a deeply unsettling time, access to personal essentials can offer a little comfort and help women regain a sense of control over daily life. We may never meet those who receive our gifts or hear their stories. We can still help them feel remembered and cared for.

This is part of what it means to live our Catholic faith. Every person has dignity because they were made in the image of God. Our response to that dignity takes shape in ordinary choices: noticing a need, adding something to the shopping basket, and making time to give.

There is something quietly hopeful about a parish coming together in this way. One person contributes toiletries, another deodorant, another underwear. Each gift may seem small, but together they become a meaningful expression of our community’s care.

Thank you to the Catholic Women’s League for organising this collection and helping us respond. If you can contribute, please look at this week’s notices for the full list of requested items and details on how to donate.

A box of essentials cannot undo what someone has suffered. It can, however, carry a simple message: 

You matter, and people care.

Deacon Neil Taylor