Kelowna resident Anne Spelliscy, who has ALS and is a quadriplegic, has overseen a remarkable campaign to help the Kelowna Women's Shelter. Spelliscy has collected enough donations to fill 200 bags with the support of family, friends, caregivers and supportive local businesses.

A Kelowna woman with ALS has overseen a remarkable campaign to support the Kelowna Women's Shelter.
Anne Spelliscy is a quadriplegic who can neither speak nor walk and breathes through a ventilator, yet she has directed the collection of more than $14,000 worth of personal items for shelter residents.
Along with the support of family, friends, caregivers, and supportive local businesses, Spelliscy has collected enough donations to fill 200 gift bags, each marked with her favourite inspirational phrase, "Live, Love, Laugh."
"It's good to give back," Spelliscy said Thursday, speaking through one of her long-time nurses who can read her lips.
The bags, each one packed with about $70 worth of toiletries, personal grooming items, makeup, and similar products, were delivered to the Women's Shelter, where they were gratefully received.
"It's a wonderful thing Anne does to help us out," the shelter's awareness co-ordinator Kathleen Lemieux said. "A lot of the women who come through here, they've left their home in a hurry, so they didn't have time to pack anything. They come here with just the clothes on their back."
More than 240 women and 150 children stayed for varying lengths of time this year at the shelter, after leaving abusive or dangerous domestic situations.
Spelliscy was diagnosed 20 years ago with ALS, a fatal neurological disorder that progressively limits a person's ability to move and breathe. People with ALS usually have their cognitive functions unimpaired.
Spelliscy, who lives at home with the assistance of round-the-clock care, first got the idea of helping the Women's Shelter five years ago. She contacted companies like Nivea and Gillette directly, and local drug stores like Rexall and Pharmasave have also provided product.
In fact, all of the 15 Kelowna and West Kelowna stores Spelliscy contacted agreed to help out with the project.
Now well-established, the annual collection of items and packaging them up into gift bags runs fairly smoothly, although it involves a lot of work with the effort starting several weeks before Christmas.
"It's such an upper for everyone, helping out this way," said Lorne Brooks, Spelliscy's husband.
Donations are always accepted at the Kelowna Women's Shelter. The easiest way to assist is to visit their website and click on the "Give Help" button.