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Long Island City group looks for help to donate beauty bags to local moms in need on Mother’s Day

BAGS
Photos courtesy of Julz Donald

A Long Island City group founded by two mothers aiming to donate resources and time to neighbors in need is looking for help to make Mother’s Day special for families currently living in local homeless shelters.

Julz Donald started Super Community LIC three years ago with the help of Long Island City resident Marjorie Phillips. After leaving her job in the city to work for herself, she began partnering with the nonprofit The Floating Hospital to donate baby items and toiletries to local families.

“I teamed up with a mom in Long Island City here because we were like this is an amazing place to live and we really love our community and what we wanted to do was to celebrate the community but also facilitate ways to give back,” Donald said. “We knew there were a lot of people here with lots of resources — money and time to give but not always being able to give because it’s not facilitated for them.”

Every month, Donald and Phillips collect items from Long Island City families and transport them to The Floating Hospital’s headquarters at 41-43 Crescent St. Staff from the nonprofit, which provides healthcare services to medically undeserved communities, then donates them to local homeless shelters.

Last year, her group began to collect beauty items and toiletries to create beauty bags for Mother’s Day. Though the goal was to hand out 100 beauty bags, local residents provided enough items and bags to hand out 450 beauty bags to women in domestic violence shelters.

bag 2

“It’s awesome,” she said. “I’ve lived here for nearly seven years now and there’s something very special about this community in that everybody bands together when anyone has an issue.”

The bags were also given to children in family shelters so that they could hand them to their mothers as gifts for the big day. Donald said the group frequently receives thank-you cards from mothers and added that The Floating Hospital asked her to be board member last year after her work for the group.

“You and your SuperCommunityLIC group have given the gift of humanity to those who were on the verge of defeat and despair,” the nonprofit wrote in a letter to the group. “You have literally helped to put lives and families back together. On behalf of the mothers and toddlers who are residents in the family shelters we serve; The Floating Hospital staff thank you and know that your time and efforts are not taken for granted.”

This year, Donald is hosting a number of events to collect money for the bags and items. The group recently had a bingo night and were able to collect $1,200. They gave The Floating Hospital $1,000 directly and saved $200 for the beauty bags.

On March 22, they will host a trivia night at Woodbines at 8 p.m. to raise money for the bags. It costs $20 to enter and there will be prizes and drink and food specials for all participants.

Hudson + Bleecker, a local shop that sells makeup bags and travel accessories, will again donate bags for the event. Donald said her client, Unilever, is also looking to donate items.

The bags usually contain shampoo, conditioner, makeup, jewelry, nail polish and other beauty items.

“The moms are never spending their money on stuff for themselves anymore,” Donald said. “We all know what a lipstick can do and how it can make you feel.”

On May 6, The Loft LIC will host Super Community Volunteer Day. The restaurant will provide brunch from 11 to noon and from 2 to 4 p.m., volunteers will assemble the beauty bags. Children are also welcome to the event.

Donald will be collecting donations at her home at 47-20 Center Blvd. Apt. #416 and Phillips will collect items at 155 Borden Ave. Apt. #19J.

For more information on the event, visit the group’s Facebook page.

Annual Mothers Day Drive Comm