Oprah Winfrey has packed a bag for It's in the Bag

Share the Dignity is asking Australians to pack 150,000 more.

As the campaign marks 10 years with Bunnings, a bag packed in the United States will join those packed at kitchen tables across Australia.

Australians are being called on to share a little kindness this Christmas, with Share the Dignity’s It’s in the Bag campaign returning nationally from 6-22 November.

It’s in the Bag supports women and girls experiencing homelessness, domestic violence and financial hardship by encouraging Australians to fill a bag with essential items, including period products, thoughtful gifts and a handwritten ‘Dear Her’ note, and drop it at any Bunnings store nation-wide.

Oprah Winfrey has packed a bag for Share the Dignity’s It’s in the Bag campaign, and the charity is calling on Australians to help collect 150,000 bags this Christmas to meet the growing needs of its registered charity partners. The need for support is significant, with almost 289,000 people receiving assistance from specialist homelessness services alone across Australia in 2024-25.

The bag has travelled from the United States and will be given to a woman who needs it, as every bag donated to the campaign will be.

After meeting Ms Winfrey at an Australian event, Share the Dignity Founder and Managing Director Rochelle Courtenay shared the work of Share the Dignity and invited Ms Winfrey to take part. A handwritten note is packed inside for the woman who receives it.

"I'll admit I let out a squeal when the bag arrived," Ms Courtenay said. "But what stays with me is the note. Oprah has written to a woman she will probably never meet. That is what Australians have been doing for eleven years: one woman saying to another, I don't know you, but I thought of you."

"Oprah's bag will do what every other bag does. It will go to one woman who needs it. It carries the same message as a bag packed by a grandmother in Toowoomba or a family in Darwin: you are seen, you matter, someone cares."

Ten years at Bunnings

This November marks 10 years of Share the Dignity and Bunnings working together on It's in the Bag, with more than 1.1 million bags collected across the life of the campaign.

"You don't have to register or attend an event," Ms Courtenay said. "You can simply pack a bag, take it to Bunnings, and we get it into the hands of someone who needs it."

Melissa O’Neill, Bunnings Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, said the decade-long partnership reflects the generosity of local communities and their ongoing support for the appeal.

“For 10 years, our team members, customers and communities have embraced Share the Dignity’s It’s in the Bag appeal, helping provide essential items and a message of care to women and girls experiencing homelessness, domestic violence or financial hardship.

“Every bag represents a simple act of kindness that can make a meaningful difference to someone at a difficult time, which is why this appeal continues to resonate so strongly with our teams and customers.

“We encourage anyone who can, to pack a bag and drop it into a participating Bunnings store between 6 and 22 November, helping remind someone they’re not alone this Christmas.”

Why this Christmas

Almost 289,000 people were assisted by specialist homelessness services in Australia in 2024-25, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Of that number, 17,063 women and children affected by family violence experienced persistent homelessness, which increased from a baseline of 15,510 in 2022-23.

In 2025, Australians donated 123,295 physical bags. Thousands of people also donated online, allowing for more than 30,000 additional bags to be packed and distributed. This year Share the Dignity is asking for 150,000.

For Lenna Boxall, receiving a bag came at a time when life was particularly hard

Ms Boxall was navigating breast cancer, major surgery, chronic pain and medical menopause, all while continuing to care for her three daughters and two of her nieces who were living with her while her sister found somewhere safe to settle after fleeing domestic violence.

“It was a really, really big, incredible thing at the time, receiving a bag. It just made me feel seen and cared about. I just really appreciated that people cared enough to want to help,” said Ms Boxall.

“I'm strong and I'm tough, but I'm also human and I'm an emotional person and I feel a lot... I’m learning it’s ok for me to accept help.”

What Australians can do

"We don't need 150,000 Oprahs," Ms Courtenay said. "We need 150,000 Australians willing to care about someone they may never meet. Find a handbag, backpack or tote you no longer use. Fill it with the essentials, add something lovely, and write a Dear Her note. That note may be the most important thing you put inside."

Australians can drop completed bags at participating Bunnings stores from 6 to 22 November 2026. Those who cannot pack a bag can Sponsor a Bag online. To find out what to pack, visit sharethedignity.org.au/what-we-do/its-in-the-bag.

ENDS

Notes:

• Share the Dignity website: https://sharethedignity.org.au/
• It’s in the Bag webpage: https://sharethedignity.org.au/what-we-do/its-in-the-bag

About Share the Dignity

Share the Dignity was formed in 2015 when Founder Rochelle Courtenay first learnt of homeless women going without basic period products during their menstrual cycle. Courtenay decided the question was not, “why is no one doing anything?” but rather, “what’s stopping me from doing something?” Since the founding of the charity, Share the Dignity has donated over six million packets of period products to those in need, supported by over 2,500 volunteers nationwide.

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