End the Year with Cheer: Beauty bags delivered to the women at Clare House for the holidays

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Throughout the month of December, Alaska’s News Source’s news department has taken on a challenge, to end the year with cheer. The idea is that we can all do something, big or small, to help our fellow Alaskans smile, even during this difficult year. I wanted to help the women at Clare House feel worthy, beautiful and that someone was thinking of them during the holidays.

Clare House is a shelter for women and children. According to its website, moms and kids are often in compromised situations sleeping in a car or on the street with nowhere else to go before they find refuge at Clare House. With the help of my family, my mom, daughters, Amelia and Dani, and I went to several stores looking for items to fill up the bags.

In the bags were things like warm socks, gloves, perfume, lipstick and more. I hand wrote a note to each of the women to let them know they were good moms, resilient and they could get through whatever struggles or obstacles they were facing.

With 18 red and green bags, filled with festive gold and silver tissue paper, we loaded my car and set out to make the special delivery. The staff at Clare House happily accepted the beauty bags on the women’s behalf and said they were thankful for the gifts.

”Our ladies that are here they are often times going through some traumatic events. It’s hard right now because of the pandemic but I think of all the things they’ve overcome and when we have donors who give from their heart, it’s refreshing to see the community come together to show them that kind of love that you are genuinely, truly loved and so thank you again,” said Program Director Mercy Pulou.

Just as we accepted our challenge as a newsroom staff to end the year with cheer, we also want to challenge you. We’d love to see how you’re bringing smiles to others this time of year, so send us your stories, pictures and videos and we’ll broadcast those throughout the month as well.

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