Pampered Pillowcases to bring joy to moms

May 5, 2016 · 0 Comments

By Brock Weir

Local moms in need will have their Sunday brightened this week by a return of the Pampered Pillowcases.

The brainchild of Aurora sisters Lexi and Amanda Benlolo, the Pampered Pillowcase project fills colourful sacks with goodies – ranging from slippers to cosmetics – to make women feel pampered through the Women’s Centre of York Region.

Initiated by the Country Day School last Christmas, the project was so successful the girls decided to bring it back for Mother’s Day, throwing down the gauntlet to Country Day’s Junior School to pick up the challenge – and they have risen to the occasion.

“After we gave the 77 pillow cases to the Women’s Centre, we immediately approached the Country Day School Junior School with the idea to start the Mother’s Day Drive,” says Lexi. “We wanted to teach them a hands-on learning experience.”

The Junior School has a program called Pathways to People, which Amanda says spearheads initiatives to help charities and food drives. When they approached them with the Pampered Pillowcase program, it seemed like a perfect fit.

“They took a really big initiative in it,” says Amanda. “They helped all the classes make their own pillow cases. We gave them an example pillow case and everything that would need to be put in it, showed them how to assemble it so it would stay up, be sturdy, and we also said they could make these as personal as they wanted to.”

The girls made their final push for pillow cases on Tuesday and are expected to deliver them to the Women’s Centre this Thursday for Mother’s Day distribution.

“The feedback we got [during] the holidays was just incredible,” says Lexi. “The little things that were in there were just so special to them and each one cherished it.”

Adds Amanda: “We are hopeful this goes on for years to come, and we hope to have another Christmas Drive and Mother’s Day drive and maybe introduce more.”