The Undergraduate Women in Business Club is conducting a toiletry drive for the first time and the collected goods will be donated to the South Bend Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), vice president Elizabeth Slawin said.
"This is the first year that we've really done any kind of service project," Slawin said. "We thought that doing something with the women's shelter would be very appropriate for our club just because our club is about giving women the skills to enter the business world."
Slawin said the club called the YWCA to see what sort of supplies they need. The drive is collecting basic toiletry items like shampoo, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes and towels, Slawin said.
She said they decided to do the drive after spring break because many people will have just been home and could possibly bring items back from home to donate.
Although the club has only been around for five years, they have wanted to do a service project for a while, Slawin said.
"We want to make service part of our club because our club is all about helping girls gain the skills they need to have successful careers," Slawin said.
It is important for them to implement service into their club, she said, because for a lot of women at Notre Dame, and especially for the girls in the club, maintaining a relationship with the community is important.
Because this is the first year that the drive is being conducted, Slawin said they do not expect any certain number of goods to be collected.
"The more the better. We didn't really set a goal because this is our first year," she said.
Slawin isn't as concerned with the number of donations, but the impact the drive will have on the connection the club can build with the YWCA.
"Even though this might end up being kind of a small start, it could help our club build a relationship with them," Slawin said.
The club will also be hosting a bake sale in conjunction with the toiletry drive at the end of the week, said senior Dana Gates, a member of the Undergraduate Women in Business Club.
"We thought cookies would get people's attention and promote what we are doing a little better," Gates said in an e-mail.
Slawin said a few members of the club will bring the collected items to the YWCA next week.
"Ultimately it is about empowering women."
