As beauty bloggers, our inboxes are filled with press releases and information on holiday releases. Those wishlists can be crazy but my family do not do major gifts for adults at the holidays. As a child, we always did a gift for a child in a third world country through our school and each had a charity we donated to at Christmas. It will come as no surprise that mine was usually an animal sanctuary and often has been as an adult. But this year, I am asking friends and family to donate to The Shoebox Project in lieu of gifts to me.
The Shoebox Project felt like a good fit this year. I often have samples of makeup for my blog I can’t use because of shade or just want to declutter. I gave some to friends, even on a local facebook group. After being frustrated by a no show for free makeup, someone reached out saying she donates to several shelters. She thought they could use the items more than the ungrateful facebook group member. The shelter was happy to take it off my hands. They even helped me coordinate with another group who could use some of the makeup they didn’t need to help women going to job interviews.
When they mentioned The Shoebox Project to me as some of my last drop off was unused items, I knew it was a great fit. So I asked some of my fellow Canadian Beauty Blogger Network members to get involved too. We will be sharing the boxes we make through the holiday season, so be sure to check them out for ideas for your box. But first, we wanted to tell you all about it. So we are having a twitter party with an awesome prize pack, but you need to participate to win!
Canadian Beauty Bloggers Twitter Party with The Shoebox Project
So we are having a twitter party to let you know all about The Shoebox Project and how you can give a gift to a woman in a shelter this Christmas. Follow @bbloggersCA @ShoeboxCanada and @FarleyCoBeauty who have generously supplied a prize for the party. Join us on October 24th at 8pm ET with the hashtag #CBBxShoebox while we discuss what we will be including in our shoeboxes.
Check out the amazing prize pack you can win from FarleyCoBeauty. It is filled with beauty products that you can keep or donate! Prizes include 7th heaven masks. Treat yourself to a spa night with them. There are also diabetic/sensitive skin friendly moisturizers for feet and skin from Flexitol. Plus, with holiday party season, CO LAB dry shampoos, lashes from Mesmoreyes and makeup sponges from EcoTools and Real Techniques. There is more you can’t see hiding in there too!
How To Participate in The Shoebox Project
If you can’t make it to the twitter party, you should still participate in The Shoebox Project. There are so many charities out there for meals for homeless people and gifts for kids. I couldn’t think of anything else locally to make a woman feel special during the holidays. Many of the shelters that The Shoebox Project partners with help victims of domestic abuse and homeless women who are estranged from all family. A thoughtful gift can make a huge difference whether they ended up in a shelter due to abuse, homelessness or medical reasons. I know my first few holidays in Canada were hard having such a big close family back home, and can’t even begin to imagine being alone on the holidays in a shelter.
“We engage with individuals who have been victims of tragic circumstance… Often, due to the impact of their victimization, they do not have the funds nor inclination to focus upon themselves as women. Your Shoeboxes reminded them in a tangible way that they are still worthy of attention, nurturance and more than just the basics of existence.” – Chris Eby, Muskoka Victim Services
Making Your Box For The Shoebox Project
The gift should be a thoughtful one, not just stuff lying around in your home or dollar store items. Although, for many beauty bloggers, we can probably half fill some of the boxes from our unused stash of fun new releases. You just need to add in some non beauty extras. Even things like bus tickets are great since the boxes are kept locally so they can be used.
The Shoebox Project has a great infographic showing what to include in the shoeboxes. Simply take a shoebox (a great excuse for new shoes, right), wrap it in holiday paper. Then fill with gifts to an approximate value of $50. It should include something special for them, beauty products, and something sweet – because who doesn’t want candy? Full details on how to make the box, what to include (and not include) can be found here.
You can see where your donation will go by checking out your local chapter page of The Shoebox Project. Since it is gifts, you know that all the items will go to someone who deserves a pick me up during the holidays. No advertising costs or administration. Although they do accept monetary gifts to make up boxes for areas that do not get enough too.
“Many of the clients here feel forgotten, neglected, and abandoned by society. The gifts you provided help reiterate the message of Hope that they are tremendously precious people, and many of us in society believe in them.” – Captain Rodney Bungay, Winnipeg Booth Centre
If you make a box, be sure to share it on social media with #JustGiveLove and #CBBxShoebox!