SUBMITTED RELEASE — For the month of August 2014, local restaurant chain, Squeeze In, is holding an annual collection drive for personal care items, such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo and conditioner, which will be donated to the St. Vincent’s Resource Network, a program of Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada.
All three Reno and Sparks locations will have collection barrels at their restaurants. Customers who donate a personal care item will get a free orange juice or mimosa with their meal. The donations will be used to assemble hygiene kits that will be distributed to local people and families who are either transitioning out of a homeless situation or hoping to find employment.
“Personal hygiene items are some of the most commonly requested items we get,” says Peter Vogel, Catholic Charities Executive Director. “It might seem like a small thing to most people, but having soap, shampoo and other items are a really big deal to a person who is trying to get back on their feet. Feeling personal pride in their appearance is the first step toward getting the confidence to find work.”
This is the second year in a row that Squeeze In has held this type of collection drive. The co-owner of the restaurant chain, Shila Morris, says she wanted to give back to the St. Vincent’s programs because her family has a personal connection to the nonprofit organization.
“When I was a child, we used to stand in line for food at St. Vincent’s Food Pantry. Those are some of my first memories. My mom did what she could to make ends meet for us, and I want to give back to the organization that helped us through those difficult times,” says Morris.
Morris’ mother, Misty Young, purchased the original Squeeze In restaurant in Truckee in 2004 before expanding into a four-location, multi-million dollar business. Young authored the book From Rags to Restaurants: The Secret Recipe about how she went from standing in food lines to owning a successful restaurant chain.
“I make it part of my business to find ways to give back to my community. St. Vincent’s is what inspired me to do that,” says Young.
For more information about the collection drive, or to schedule an interview, please contact Auburn Harrison at (775)322-7073 ext. 235. For a full list of Squeeze In locations, visit www.squeezein.com. For information about the St. Vincent’s Programs of Catholic Charities, visit www.ccsnn.org.
