The organizers behind the Muskoka Shoebox Project are gearing up for the season to start on Nov. 1, kicking things off with a special donation opportunity at the Bala Cranberry Festival.
Local coordinator Heather Scott said she and her team have contacted the charities they partner with to determine the need for shoeboxes, bringing them to their initial goal of 1,500 boxes. The shoeboxes are personally assembled gifts with about $50 worth of products including full-sized toiletries, gift cards, hats and scarves, and other little luxuries. The boxes are distributed at shelters, food banks and other local agencies. The need for boxes often grows as the season continues, so every donation goes a long way.
“As we’re going, we’ll get a few more calls to say, we need 10 more, we need 20 more,” Scott said. “We keep going until we don’t have any money left or any product left.”
She and the other volunteers are getting an early start by accepting monetary and in-kind donations at the Forest Hill Real Estate office during the Cranberry Festival from Oct. 18 to 20. Donations of items like shampoo, conditioner, mascara, hats and gloves will receive an entry for a chance to win a luxury gift basket.
It’s Scott’s third year working on the local Shoebox Project but only her second without the support of past organizers. It can be daunting to look at the target number of shoeboxes, though she’s feeling hopeful after last year’s success.
“You’re wondering, are you going to make it? And then we did, so now we actually have a little more belief that we can do this and we can bring the community together,” she said. “We live in a very generous community that gives back.”
At the end of last year’s season, the volunteers made a final delivery of 400 boxes. The feeling after all of the shoeboxes were delivered was one of joy and relief, Scott said. It’s heartwarming to know that they’ve put smiles on the faces of people who might not have many sources of joy around the holidays.
The Canadian branch of the Shoebox Project was founded in Toronto in 2011 to support women experiencing or at risk of homelessness. While they still want to honour the core mission of the project, Scott said they’re hoping supporters will create some boxes with a slightly different recipient in mind.
“The Shoebox Project is originally intended for women, but we have a very diverse community,” she said. “It would be nice if we could do some gender-neutral boxes to help be fully inclusive.”
A common way to contribute to the Shoebox Project is by hosting gift-packing parties. People will come together to wrap items, write notes and pack up boxes, sometimes through work or school and sometimes just as an activity between friends.
Muskoka 100 People Who Care, a recently formed charity that promotes and funds local causes, is hosting a Shoebox Raiser event on Nov. 3. The group will meet in the upper level of Port Carling Community Centre from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
They’ve collected a massive amount of donated products and gift cards, so they’re aiming to pack 150 boxes and donate the rest of the products to the project at large. Every box makes a difference in the life of a Muskoka resident, so donations big and small all come together to make for a bit of community cheer during Christmas.
“We really appreciate when a family comes in and they bring in one completed shoebox,” Scott said. “They all add up and make a difference, but when a group like this comes and does 150 when we’re trying to get to around 1,500, that is just huge.”
Visit the Muskoka Shoebox Project website to learn more, and follow the project on Facebook for regular updates.