Dear Parents and Children
Can you help me?
In all the turmoil of events that happened in the few days leading up to half term, I forgot to talk to you all about our annual Shoebox project.
I had been in discussions with Walsworth Baptist Church who we work with every year and had agreed that we would take part in the Shoebox Appeal once again this year.
They sent me this letter:
It is an understatement to say that because of covid-19 things have been very different this year, and we at Walsworth Road Baptist Church sincerely hope that you and yours are managing to stay healthy and ‘head-abovewater’ in the face of the ongoing challenges and uncertainties. But if we think UK has had it tough (and we surely have), Link to Hope have reminded us that in many of the settings where they have projects still actively engaged in the relief of poverty in such nations as Moldova and Ukraine, there are not the same resources medically and economically available to support poorer people and their communities. Since 2004, Walsworth Road Baptist Church has been involved with a Christmas Shoebox Project, working for a number of years now with Link to Hope, and although we know that it will look very different in 2020, the project has been launched once again in schools and churches, in the hope that shoeboxes can be prepared and filled across the town during the Half term break.
Now, clearly I missed the half term deadline! But I am hoping that we can still take part in the collection.
Shoeboxes will be collected from your school after Half term, and then sorted and prepared for their onward travel. Link to Hope send Christmas shoeboxes, through their own community projects and through trusted local partners, to people known to be in need in Moldova, Ukraine, Hungary and Romania. As usual, there are two styles of shoebox – Family or Elderly – so please choose which style you would like to create, and then wrap the box and lid with Christmas wrapping paper.
Our Shoeboxes will be collected on Friday 6th November.
Please copy the sheet below, and use the contents list attached to the box lid to fill the shoebox with good things, and please tick off everything that you have included. This year Link to Hope have identifed six categories on the Essential Items list, which is the same for both styles of shoebox: Gloves or Scarf or Hat; Chocolate/ sweets (dated after June 2021); Soap & Flannel; Toothbrush & toothpaste; Candle & Holder (holder for stability); Small Game (eg Draughts, Dominos, Cards) On the contents list then there are further suggestions of items for you to include as Extras (ideally at least five of these), depending on whether you are filling a Family or an Elderly shoebox. Please do not include any of the following items: Food, Tea / Coffee, Medicines, Books, Sanitary items, Underwear, Second-hand items Donation As a small charity and in order to assist with transport costs, Link to Hope ask for a donation of £3 per shoebox to be included with the box (cash or cheque). Link to Hope are encouraging all UK tax payers to sign the Gift Aid declaration as well, please, to add value to the gift at no additional cost to the donor. The form and the donation can go inside the shoebox, so that it can be passed separately to the charity. The shoeboxes from Hitchin will be cartoned up, ‘ready for the pallet’, and then delivered to Link to Hope in Sussex for their onward journey. Questions? Please feel free to contact the local project team with any questions, by emailing shoeboxes@wrbchitchin.org.uk
Please help me by putting a shoebox together to support a family in Eastern Europe.
Our value for the next half term is Co-operation and what better way to demonstrate co-operation than by filling a shoebox as requested and sending it in to school. But, time is limited the shoeboxes need to be in school by Friday 6th November!
I really hope you can help me with this!
Thank you
Mary Driver
