KAMLOOPS — For women living in shelters, or facing poverty and other difficult situations, the holidays can stir up feelings of isolation.
The Shoebox Project, spearheaded locally by Abbott Wealth Management, is attempting to make all women feel special and cared for over the Christmas season.
By packing a shoebox with around $50 worth of gifts, Kamloops residents can brighten up the holidays for vulnerable women in the city.
“It’s just a reminder for them that they are thought about, they’re cared for, and that we want to recognize them through the holiday season,” said Abbott Wealth’s Sandy Vollo.
It is the fourth season of The Shoebox Project in Kamloops.
The initiative, which originated in Toronto, collects and distributes shoeboxes filled with gifts to partnering shelters and institutions.
“The Shoebox Project started in 2011 by four sisters-in-law out of Toronto,” Vollo said. “Since that time it’s just expanded across the country. Monique Bastemeijer, who was part of our team back in 2015 and just recently left, she started it here in Kamloops.”
Since 2015, more than 1,300 shoeboxes have been distributed to women in the community.
This year’s goal is 200 shoeboxes.
“It’s very emotional actually when you see some of these ladies,” Vollo said. “I know Mark (Bertoli) was just recently telling a story of how there were three women at a table and they were opening up their boxes and they all waited until they were all ready to open them up at the same time so they could see what each one got. Another lady said she hid her box because it was the only gift she was going to get.”
The shoeboxes can be filled with hygiene items, sweets, gift certificates, or makeup and can be dropped off at Abbott Wealth Management or the United Way, where they will be held for distribution.
“The Y Women’s Shelter is one of the recipients of the boxes, Family Tree, which is a dinner that is hosted once a year by Rotary, so the moms there all receive a box, Emerald House is one,” Vollo said. “So, there’s a few different organizations in town that are benefactors of the boxes.”
The deadline for drop-off is Dec. 7.
