Support the Girls – Edwardsville comes to SIUE

Support the Girls was created when, Dana Marlowe, a working mom, decided to find a new home for dozens of bras in her drawer. When she discovered that no formal means existed for collecting and distributing gently-used bras to needy women and girls in her community in Maryland, a spark ignited into what is quickly becoming a global movement.

Alicia Alexander, Ph.D., Applied Communications, is the director of the local community affiliate of Support the Girls –Edwardsville and faculty sponsor of Support the Girls-SIUE . Support The Girls collects gently-used bras, new underwear, and feminine hygiene products for women in need. These products collected from generous donations from our community are given to women in various homeless shelters, domestic violence centers, and pregnancy crisis centers in the Saint Louis Metro East Area. Many of these women have little to no income and simply can’t afford the basic necessities that many of us take for granted.

“STG-SIUE gives students a chance to give back to the community.  The organization is unique in that it provides students the opportunity to specifically help underprivileged women and girls in our community.  They can see the direct impact of their efforts by participating in donations.” Says Alexander.

The SIUE chapter was started in the 2017 Spring Semester when two students read about Dr. Alexander’s initiatives in the Alestle.  De’Ajah Loften and Ne’Shai Talley began the process last year of submitting the paperwork to become an official SIUE Kimmel-sponsored organization.  Since then, STG-SIUE has donated 300 bras, 250 menstrual hygiene products, baby formula, a large bag of women’s clothes and a large bag of children and women’s shoes.

Support The Girls has also enriched Dr. Alexander’s personal and professional live in many ways and has created a lasting effect on the way she teaches her students. “I have always been interested in understanding and improving relationships. In particular, STG is so relevant to my ACS 422: “Family Communication” course as well as my ACS 522: Seminar in Family Communication course at the Graduate level. In my ACS 422 course we talk about various family forms such as single-parent families. Many of the organizations that I donate to involve single mothers and their children. We also talk about various stressors such as homelessness, relational violence, mental illness, the impact of drugs/alcohol on families, and many other challenges that many of the women that I help are facing.” Says Alexander.

At this time,  Support The Girls has donated 2,319 bras, 36,875 menstrual hygiene products, and 883 pairs of new underwear to women in need.

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