Tell us what Homeless Shoebox Appeal does in a nutshell?
We collect shoeboxes filled with necessities and gifts for the homeless and those in need during the Winter months/the festive period. We hand out boxes to those we see on the street, drop boxes to drug treatment centres and winter night shelters as well as churches.
How long have you been running?
We have been running since 2015. We usually run from November through December annually as we like to have the boxes handed out in time for Christmas.
Where did the idea originate from?
The Shoebox Appeal was created with the homeless in mind during what we can only assume to be a difficult time of year for those in need. We thought what must be worse than sitting in the town centre and watching families and people shopping for their loved ones for Christmas gifts, when you may feel as though you have nothing? With this in mind, we wanted to try and ensure that as many of those people in need would have a gift or something to open during the festive period. It’s a time of year where sometimes we can forget that decorating a tree, wrapping gifts and being around family isn’t something everyone out there gets to experience.
How can people help?
In any way you can! Putting together a shoebox no matter how big or small will always be greatly received and appreciated. Spread the word about our appeal to your friends, family and colleagues, and share our posts across social media. Every donation, discussion and share about our appeal helps us to reach more people across Suffolk, and increases the chance of us getting more donations.
Find out more information on our Facebook page.
What do you love about Suffolk?
The sense of community! Running our appeal lets us see people donate and reach out to us from across the county. We love that Suffolk bands together at the thought of helping others less fortunate within their communities.
Support Homeless Shoebox Appeal here.
