This holiday season, fill a standard-sized, decorated Shoebox with approximately £35 worth of gifts and essentials that any woman might enjoy, and include a warm greeting or message of support. Our volunteers distribute these gifts to local women’s shelters and community agencies serving women impacted by homelessness across London. In the next year, we hope to grow The Shoebox Project across the UK.
Whether you donate a Shoebox virtually or in-person, it is more than just a gift. It is a rare and powerful reminder that we all matter.
In celebration of our 10th Anniversary, we asked a few friends to curate a special virtual Shoebox with some of their favourite items. With your purchase of one of these special edition Shoeboxes, you will receive a charitable gift receipt and a digital thank you card written by the creator of your Shoebox. Like all of our virtual Shoeboxes, these Special Edition Shoeboxes are representations only, meaning your purchase is considered a monetary donation to The Shoebox Project.
The Shoebox Project for Women is a registered charity that collects and distributes gift-filled Shoeboxes to local women impacted by homelessness across Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
We aim to foster safe, supportive and inclusive communities by facilitating compassionate gestures of kindness between our supporters and local women experiencing homelessness.
Shoeboxes include much-needed personal items like soap, shampoo, deodorant and toothpaste, allowing women to take care of their personal hygiene and to feel more confident in a time of great personal turmoil.
The little luxuries we provide such as warm fuzzy socks, a beautiful journal, and high quality beauty products, delivers a rare and invaluable message to a woman who finds herself in a shelter that she remains worthy of nice things and deserves to feel special.
Most Shoeboxes we deliver come with a card or note from its donor, providing the women we serve with a meaningful and compassionate message from someone in her very own community. A Shoebox can be a rare and powerful reminder for a woman that she is not alone and that there are people who truly care.
Over the past ten years, The Shoebox Project has distributed approximately 242,150 Shoeboxes across Canada, the USA and the UK, and an additional £700,000 worth of gift cards and essential products directly to local women accessing over 510 shelters and community agencies.
“Being forgotten is something I am used to. People walk by me everyday, and never see me. I am always cold and I always feel alone. Going to EXT Youth Hub, is one of the only places that I go (where) I feel welcome and safe. Today, when I waked into Exit, I was met with bright smiles, and handed a beautiful box. As I opened it, feeling the love with each corner that is beautifully wrapped, I gasped. Today I get to feel beautiful. Today I am seen. Thank you."
- Shoebox Recipient, Calgary AB
“This was one of the biggest and most rewarding projects I've taken on to date. I absolutely loved working with the volunteers and getting to know them, along with nurturing our Chapter's existing connections in the Vancouver region community, from donors to shelters and agencies and everything in between. I also had the opportunity to utilize a lot of my creative side, which I don't really get to do in my day-job -- something else I found very rewarding and enjoyable.”
- Terri, Local Coordinator from Vancouver, BC
“Many of our recipients became very emotional when receiving their much-needed supplies in their Shoebox. They were especially moved by the kindness shown to them at Christmas. It is a very lonely time for people, especially people living in poverty or being away from family, and the simple act of love and kindness was overwhelming. For some it was their only Christmas gift. “
- North Central Family Centre, Regina, SK
By creating a Shoebox, you will ensure that a local woman in the community of your choice receives the essentials she needs and the special treat she deserves. Add a supportive message with your gift so she knows someone is thinking of her and cheering her on.
