New posting address for the West Country

Good news for those of you living in the West Country. Bath & Unwind have joined us as a supporter and also as a donation centre for the Bristol/surrounding areas.

Their details are on our 'Where to send/dropoff' page.

We thank them for their support and look forward to being able to extend our services in the area.

We are still looking for similar drop off/donation locations in Scotland and Northern Ireland - please do get in touch if you can help!

Thank you so much Bath & Unwind!

Thank you.

I have just returned from our final drop off before Christmas. I cannot thank you enough for all of your donations this year. You have made a huge difference to the lives of the women and children in these shelters and your support is amazing.

Huge thank you's to Clare Forde and Nathalie Smith from Clare Forde PR who not only allow us the free use of their office to collect all of our parcels - but have physically carried every single box/sack up and down the stairs whilst doing so. (We have received a LOT of parcels!)

Massive thanks to our regional organisers at Escentual.com and Beauty Bay - who take care of Wales and the North of England respectively. All on their own time and with no fanfare.

And a personal thank you to my husband and children (big and little) who have, on many an occasion, formed a conveyor belt of hands while we loaded and unloaded the donations this end. All without one word of complaint.

This is the busiest time of year for domestic violence shelters.

Whilst we wish you all a very Merry Christmas we are thinking of the families in these shelters, the staff who work tirelessly to support them and send them our love and hope for a peaceful Happy New Year for all.

2012 Shoebox Campaign

Source

Hi Everyone,

Please accept our apologies for not updating more frequently - we are indeed still here - working feverishly behind the scenes collecting in all your parcels and distributing them directly to the families in need.

Its at this time of the year that we ask for something a little different in addition to the usual supplies.

With Christmas and the Holiday season approaching we like to do something for the children in the shelters. Many of them will have fled their homes leaving everything they possess behind.
Christmas Day is no different to a normal day in the week for these families. They have no extended family visiting, no Christmas dinner and no presents under a tree.

We are asking once again, for shoeboxes containing gifts suitable for the following ages:

0-14  boy and girl gifts
9-16 girl only gifts (no teenage boys are allowed in the shelters)

They can have anything - pyjamas, clothing, books, crayons, colouring books, suitable dvd's (they will be checked anyway), toys, sweets, chocolate, magazines - pretty much anything that you know a child will appreciate.

Please, please, spread the word and give what you can. I cannot tell you how heartbreaking it is to see these children in the shelters with absolutely nothing. Yes, they are of course safe from harm, warm and fed - which are the most important things - but surely at this time of year we can do more for them?

I came across these lists for some ideas for the boxes for girls and boys whilst browsing - they may give you inspiration!

Shoebox Ideas for Girls
Shoebox Ideas for Boys (remember our age restrictions)

Please do not send any of the following:

No war related items - guns, knives etc
Nothing of a political nature (books)

All boxes can be sent to our usual addresses listed here:

Thank you so much for your support.