Less than a week remains before the end of the fifth annual Muskoka Shoebox Project and organizers are calling on locals to help them reach their goal of 1,325 boxes for local women.
The shoeboxes are filled with small gifts totalling $50 in value and always include “something sparkly, something yummy and something warm.” The shoeboxes are wrapped, topped with a bow and delivered to agencies in Muskoka that distribute the boxes to women in transition or crisis. Last year, the Muskoka branch of the project aimed to collect 1,000 shoeboxes and surpassed their goal with a total of 1,300 boxes. Organizers say that while businesses and individuals throughout Muskoka have continued to be generous and embrace the project, they are still in need of about 800 more filled shoeboxes to reach their goal by the deadline on Dec. 1.
“It’s a small and personal gesture of kindness which results in an immediate and positive impact on the women who receive them,” said the group in a statement. “The act of creating Shoeboxes tends to bring people together and works to give a human face to the broad issues of poverty and homelessness. It is our mission to help women recognize that, no matter what the circumstance, they matter and remain worthy of kindness, dignity and respect.”
To learn more about participating in the Muskoka Shoebox project, read the article below, visit the Shoebox Project website or email muskoka@shoeboxproject.com. You can also find the Muskoka Shoebox Project on Facebook and Instagram.
