Waterbury resident and Manhattanville College student Kendelle Rose Pitts spearheaded the collection of close to 5,000 feminine hygiene products through her drive, “Pad-emonium” which she donated to the non-denominational non-profit: Acts 4 Ministry at 1713 Thomaston Avenue in Waterbury.
Acts 4 Ministry Executive Director Sarah Elizabeth Carabetta explained, “Kendelle is aware that our mission is to help individuals and families in need throughout the greater Waterbury area. These are people who are facing hardships and do not have the funds or resources to obtain what they require to meet their daily living needs. Personal hygiene products are among those needs and Kendelle took it upon herself to take up an important collection.”
Ms. Pitts organized and publicized the drive, titled “Pad-emonium”, held June 5th at her family church, the Bible Church at 240 Dwight Street in Waterbury. Ms. Pitts, accompanied by her mother Bambi Marangio-Pitts, presented the nearly 5,000 donated items to Ms. Carabetta.
“Back in early 2020,” recalled Ms. Pitts, “I was a freshman at Manhattanville College, majoring in Physics, with a minor in the Arts. I have been and continue to be active in several college clubs and in the community including The Midnight Run organization that aids the homeless population in NYC. Through working directly with female members of the homeless demographic, I realized there is a great need for feminine hygiene products. While explaining the lack of supply to my family, I decided to start a donation collection. Working through social media, word-of-mouth, distributing posters, sending letters to local businesses, etc. the “Pad-emoniumn” event was held in June at the Bible Church in Waterbury. ”
Ms. Pitts hopes to hold more charitable drives for “Pad-emonium” in the future and selected Acts 4 Ministry as her inaugural charity of choice in the area. Her goal is to expand into “Delivery Dignity” to women in need.
Acts 4 Ministry is a collaborative group of a volunteer board of directors, staff members, and dozens of volunteers who desire to share God’s love by meeting the comforting physical needs of others. “We work toward this goal daily,” explained Acts 4 Ministry Chairman of the Board John Bishop. “Generous donations, such as those collected by Kendelle, help us to continue our work with the community to collect and redistribute needed furnishings, household goods, clothing, and personal care items to families and individuals who are in need of assistance, especially during these difficult Pandemic times.”
All donations are tax-deductible and can be made to Acts 4 Ministry year-round via their website, www.acts4.org, or by check or money order made payable to Acts 4 Ministry, Inc. and U.S.-Mailed to PO Box 4524, Waterbury, CT 06704. Additional information is available at https://www.acts4.org.
