South Fayette Connect - Spring 2025 - Volume 10, Issue 2

Rotary donates comfort bags for people in crisis

The Bridgeville-South Fayette Rotary Club donated 25 comfort bags to the South Fayette and Bridgeville police departments in March.

The bags are stocked with necessities to help people who need alternative shelter due to an accident, abuse, fire or other difficult situation.

South Fayette Township police chief John Phoennik, left, accepts a comfort bag donation from Bridgeville-South Fayette Rotary Club member Annette Kirkpatrick, middle, and president Bill Paviol during a club meeting in March. The bags contain supplies to help people during emergencies.

Photo by Andrea Iglar

John Phoennik, chief of the South Fayette Township Police Department, said officers will stock each police car with a bag.

“This is going to go a long way to help those in need or in crisis situations to ease that shock they go through,” Phoennik said. “We see it every day, and it’s appreciated that you would reach out to us and do this.”

Rotary president Bill Paviol said the service group gathered donations and assembled bags with blankets, towels, toiletries, water bottles, snacks, stuffed animals and other items to comfort families in need.

“The community came together in full force with personal items donated, and monetary donations as well, to make this a huge success,” Paviol said.

The club will create additional bags if needed.

Bridgeville-South Fayette Rotary Club: bridgeville-sfrotary.org

—By Andrea Iglar