Doing 'paper work' for those in need (2 photos)

A group of Sault residents unloaded several vehicles full of donated rolls of toilet paper and other useful household items at the Soup Kitchen Community Centre Monday.

The items will be given to Soup Kitchen clients who request them.

The large donation was the result of a donate-at-the-door collection of toilet paper performed over three days last week by a group of Sault, Ontario Lake Superior State University (LSSU) students.

The toilet paper drive, along with an accompanying, soon-to-be-printed cookbook, is a class project for the students, who are graduating from Michigan's Grand Valley State University (GVSU) Master of Social Work program (which is taught at Lake State).

"A lot of people were more than willing to give," said Lauren Doxtater, one of the collection's organizers. 

"They gave canned food, as well as laundry soap, diapers, we were given two $25 credit cards from the United Way, clothes and books." 

"This is a pretty good response from people on about 25 streets we went to," Doxtater said.

The team didn't count the number of toilet paper rolls collected, but it was enough to fill the middle of the Soup Kitchen Community Centre's main office, temporarily removing an appreciative Ron Sim, the centre's general manager, from his desk before they were stored elsewhere in the building.

"It's like 'wow' I can't believe how much came in," Sim told SooToday.

"This is going to go a long way in helping people," Sim said, noting how tough it can be for those with a low income to buy the most basic of things, like toilet paper.

Part of the students' project was writing a report outlining what went well or not so well with the toilet paper drive, leaving a guide for other groups to follow.

"The community is more aware of the need now," Doxtater said, adding she hopes other groups and individuals will carry out similar donation drives for toilet paper and other essential items.