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9 Days Left in 2014 Shoebox Project in Vancouver

First of all, I can't believe I haven't blogged in a year. Yikes!

Second ... it's Shoebox Project for Shelters time again! This is the third year in Vancouver, and we've expanded:

• We added new drop-off spots, including Kitsilano, Olympic Village and another in East Van.
• In addition to the Downtown Eastside Women's Centre, we're working with shelters in North Vancouver and Surrey.
• We've set an aggressive goal of 750 boxes. Last year we collected just over 400 - can we do it? I think so!

One of the things that I have been touched by in particular this year is families that put boxes together and take the opportunity of collecting a shoebox to talk about charity and giving. Yoyomama.ca has a great post about sharing the experience with your kids.

And I received a lovely email from Christy, one of our donors, in which she shared her story:

I shopped with my girls yesterday and honestly it was one of the most meaningful experiences we have had. The conversations we had were so thoughtful and it almost made me cry watching a four year old and ten year old shop for items so carefully and seriously. These shoeboxes are so very special and we are so happy we found a way to help directly in our community.

I love this. I've written before about why this project is so dear and important to me, so I won't repeat that here. But I love that so many of our donors have turned this into a family experience. It actually doesn't take much time to put a box together, but by doing so, you have the opportunity to double your impact: transform the life of the woman who is receiving the box and create a positive and transformative memory for your family.

All of the details about creating a shoebox are on the Vancouver page on the main Shoebox Project website, but below are a few As to our most received Qs.

Frequently Asked Questions about Creating a Shoebox:

Wait ... what is the Shoebox Project for Shelters?
The Shoebox Project for Shelters was co-founded in Toronto in 2011 by four sisters-in-law, who asked their friends to fill shoeboxes with $50 worth of little luxuries, so they could deliver them to a local shelter. Today, the Shoebox Project operates in 30 communities across Canada and is still growing! Since inception, the Shoebox Project has delivered over 15,000 gifts to women in almost 200 shelters. The Shoebox Project is a registered charity, headquartered in Toronto.

What should I put in my shoebox?
Items that, in a time of budget constraint, could be considered a luxury or that someone wouldn't be able to splurge on. Something that YOU would like to receive if you were in a strange, unfamiliar environment at a difficult time in your life. Some ideas:

• Nice socks, gloves, scarves, or hat
• Compact (travel) umbrella
• Rain ponchos
• Gift cards in $10 or $20 (coffee shops, drug stores, movie theatre, grocery stores)
• Anything chocolate or candy
• Full bottles of personal care products - a nice lotion, body wash or scrub
• Hair stuff: brushes, hair ties, clips
• Simple jewelry: earrings or bracelet
• High-end razor (e.g. Venus)
• Face pads/cleansers
• An inspirational card or note in the box

IMPORTANT: Please make sure that the individual items are all packaged, sealed and unused! Also, this is a list tailored to requests from Vancouver shelters (e.g. high-end razors are OK) so please make sure you check your local page or ask your local coordinator if you have any questions!

How much should I spend?
We are asking that the value of the contents be around $50. If that amount isn't doable, consider going in with a friend on a box. Or, make a small box and bring it by one of the drop-off locales (see below). We can often supplement a box to bring it up to the $50 value.

$50 is a lot - I'm on a budget. Can I still participate?
YES! A lot of groups are putting together boxes. If you don't have $50, maybe you and 4 friends have $10 each? Rosemary has written a post about putting together a box as a group. And there are tips for hosting a Shoebox party on the website as well.

Does it have to be in a shoebox?
Nope, you can bring it by in a Shopper's Drug Mart bag. But if you do have a box, please use it. If you have two boxes, please bring the extra empty one with your full one. :)

Should I wrap my shoebox?
You can decorate it or wrap it, but it should not be wrapped shut (all the boxes are inspected by the shelters). You can wrap the lid separately if you have a two-piece shoebox. Those one-piece shoeboxes are tricky to wrap, but it can be done (I did about 50 of them last year). However, if you bring by your plain ol' box, we'll Christmas it up for you.

When and where can I drop off my shoebox?
In Vancouver, we have seven locations. Days & hours vary per location. You don't have to call prior to drop-off unless the location specifies - see below:

East Van: 2305 McLean Drive
Monday to Friday - 8:00am to 6:00pm
Saturday - 11:00am to 5:00pm
Kate at 778-997-5283

East Van: 4289 Elgin Street
Monday to Friday – 5:30PM to 8:00PM
Sat & Sun – 9:00AM to noon
Jackie at 604-874-5574

False Creek: 181 West 1st Avenue (Corner of West 1st Ave and Columbia in Olympic Village)
Wednesdays – 7PM to 10PM
Please email stephaniemumford@gmail.com to confirm prior to drop off.

Downtown: Accenture (leave box with reception), 15th floor, 401 West Georgia Street
Monday to Friday: 1:00PM to 4:30PM

Burnaby: Metrotower II, Suite 2100, 4720 Kingsway
Monday to Friday - 8:30AM to 4:00PM
Amy at 604-671-7881

West Vancouver: Re/Max Business Center, 1453 Bellevue Avenue
Monday to Friday - 9:00AM to 5:00PM

Kitsilano: 3078 W. 14th Ave.
7 days a week - 8:00AM to 8:00PM

What is the last day for drop-off in 2014?
Friday, December 5th is the last day in Vancouver. Other cities, check the Shoebox Locations page.

Is this just Vancouver?
Definitely not! There are over 2 dozen locations across Canada participating in the Shoebox for Shelters project! Check out the Shoebox Locations page.

What if I don't know what to put in a shoebox and just want to make a donation?
No problem! Shoebox Project for Shelters is a registered charity and uses CanadaHelps for online donations. When you donate, you can specify the community where you want your funds directed.

 

The Shoebox Project for Shelters has officially started again for the 2013 holiday season and we're pleased to be a drop-off point again this year.

Last year I wrote about why this project is important to me so I won't repeat that here. But I'm inviting my network, again, as individuals or part of a group, to create one or more shoeboxes for women who are spending the holiday season in one of Vancouver's shelters.

Shelters provide emergency and transitional shelter and services to women who are homeless because they flee abuse or difficult living situations, they are poor or afflicted with mental illness or they are new Canadians who require assistance.

These shoeboxes brighten the holiday season and let the women know they are special and not forgotten. They are filled with items that a woman would enjoy but would not splurge on for herself in times of difficulty. It's a special gift, just for her, that hopefully will not only brighten her day, but it will also let her know that someone in her community is thinking about her, and remind her that she is not forgotten.

 

Frequently Asked Questions about Creating a Shoebox:

What should I put in the shoebox?
Items that, in a time of budget constraint, could be considered a luxury or that someone wouldn't be able to splurge on. Something that YOU would like to receive if you were in a strange, unfamiliar environment at a difficult time in your life.  Some ideas:

• Body or hand lotions
• Makeup: mascara, lipstick and nail polish. (Please no concealers or foundations)
• Chocolates, cookies, candies (Nut-free products please)
• Mitts, hat, scarf
• Perfume
• Brush, comb
• Bus or subway tokens / phone card
• Gift certificates (McDonald’s, Tim Horton’s, Shoppers Drug Mart, Wal-Mart). Please include the value of the card (if possible, include the receipt)

IMPORTANT: Please do not include razors in your shoebox. Shoeboxes should contain packaged goods only. Please make sure that the individual items are all packaged, sealed and unused!

How much should I spend?
We are asking that the value of the contents be around $50. If that amount isn't doable, consider going in with a friend on a box. Or, make a small box and bring it by one of the drop-off locales (see below). We can often supplement a box to bring it up to the $50 value.

Does it have to be in a shoebox?
Nope, you can bring it by in a Shopper's Drug Mart bag. But if you do have a box, please use it. If you have two boxes, please bring the extra empty one with your full one. :) We ran a little tight on shoeboxes last year :)

Should I wrap my shoebox?
You can decorate it or wrap it, but it should not be wrapped shut (all the boxes are inspected by the shelters). You can wrap the lid separately if you have a two-piece shoebox. Those one-piece shoeboxes are tricky to wrap, but it can be done (I did about 50 of them last year). However, if you bring by your plain ol' box, we'll make it all Christmasy for you.

Can I include an inspirational message?
Yes! Feel free to include a poem, a card or an inspirational quote that could resonate with someone who is homeless this holiday season.

When and where can I drop off my shoebox?
In Vancouver, we have four five locations:

• Vancouver (East Van): 2305 McLean Drive (Monday to Friday 8:00am – 6:00pm, Saturday 11:00am – 5:00pm)
• Downtown: 100 - 1050 Homer Street (Monday to Friday 9:00am-5:00pm)
• West Vancouver: 303 - 545 Clyde Avenue ( Monday to Friday 11:00am – 4:00pm)
• Downtown: 1088 Richards Street (only available on select evenings and weekends). Please email to confirm drop off at this location.
• Burnaby: CH2M HILL Canada Limited, Metrotower II, Suite 2100, 4720 Kingsway, Burnaby V5H 4N2  (Monday to Friday 9:00am-4:00pm)

Drop-offs begin on Monday, November 18 and can be made through Friday, December 13 Wednesday, December 18, 2013.

Is this just Vancouver?
Definitely not! There are over 2 dozen locations across Canada participating in the Shoebox for Shelters project!

How do I share this with my friends on social media?
The Shoebox Project for Shelters is on:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheShoeboxProjectCanada
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/shoeboxcanada
• Pinterest: (this is a great board for both shoebox item inspiration as well as wrapping inspiration) http://www.pinterest.com/shoeboxp/shoebox-project-inspiration/

This year, we're using the hashtag #ShoeboxLove - share your photos of your shoebox or your shoe-box-making party!

Anything else I should know?
This time of year is insanely busy - and I know we're all pressed for time as well as funds. But this gesture of love and kindness to someone in our own community who we don't even know is something that truly embodies the spirit of the season. You can see what I put in my shoebox this year. I hope it inspires you to create your own!

My November Shoebox Update

I can't believe it's mid-November. I was so good all year, updating my Shoebox - and then summer, vacation, Thanksgiving, etc.

But that's OK. So, I'm ready to finish my box.

We actually have a slightly new directive this year - to focus on little luxuries rather than essentials (like toothpaste - which I totally agree with). So I've swapped in a few things.

So far:

• "spa" kit (nail brush, emery board, foot file, cuticle sticks & toe separators)
• scented candle in travel tin
• face wash
• makeup pouch
• reusable tote bag

I paid $20 for these (the last 2 were free to me - but still new!), so I have $30 left to spend. So, I added:

• Starbucks $10 Gift Card
• Scarf
• Eye makeup
• Nail polish
• Lip gloss
• Chocolates
• A perfume sample I got at Sephora

The nail polish and eye makeup were on sale, so I spent about $38. So all in all, just a smidgen over $50. Not bad.

This is possibly the bluriest photo I have ever taken

I really love doing this project.

The 2013 official #ShoeboxLove campaign has started. We're a drop off point again in East Vancouver. I've done a separate post about it, so people can get just the salient details.

Thanks so much to all of you who did a box last year and who have already told me you're doing one this year!

Now .. to wrap my shoebox!

Celebrate my birthday with clean water

Earlier this year at Fireworks Factory, I saw Paull Young from charity:water speak about his organization and how they activate their base and get people excited and participating in their organization. One of their ongoing themed campaigns is to donate your birthday. And I thought that was an awesome idea.

November is my birthday month. So this month, I'm running a campaign called "Like Water for Kate". If you would normally treat me to a coffee or a martini (or TWO martinis) or to dinner or get me a present, I'd like to ask that you donate that amount to charity:water instead.

I'm turning 45 this year .. so I set getting 45 people clean water as my campaign goal. It only takes $20 to get one person clean water. That's a total of $950 for my campaign. A modest goal, perhaps .. but I've never done anything like this before.

And why water? Well, first, I was really impressed with Paull Young and his presentation. I've been thinking about it every week since May - so I figure that's pretty good.

But more important, clean water enables so many things. I have to walk for 15 seconds to get clean water. So many women spend their entire DAY getting clean water. Clean water frees up their time. More girls stay in school. Households become less affected by inadequate government services and external conflict. People thrive.

And what I really love about charity:water, is that 100% of the money goes to the projects. When my campaign (#LikeWaterForKate) is complete, they will tell us how the money is being used. Whether we are part of a hand-dug or drilled well or we contribute to a rainwater catchment or pump rehabilitation, they'll let us know. We'll get a project report (like this one) that includes how the $$ were spent and the location of the project. Pretty amazing - I like that accountability and being able to see the impact. I know we all give to projects and it can be a mystery where the money goes.

This image is from the Get Water! for India iOS game. Beautiful art!

So, please help me celebrate my birthday. Together I know we can help 45 people have clean water. Thank you!

 

Say hello to Vancouver's newest Little Free Library (Branch #6034)

Isn't she delightful?

I can't remember where I first heard about Little Free Libraries. But once I discovered them, I was immediately charmed and knew that I needed to become an LFL Steward. I somehow roped Rosemary into going along with my crazy scheme.

In fact, it was Rosemary who noticed a sign in our neighbourhood that advertised the Vancouver Foundation's Neighbourhood Small Grants program. Amazingly, we still had a little time before the deadline. We applied and were given a grant. Wohoo! Now, we are not handy, carpentry-lovin' ladies (surprising because we do like wearing flannel). And, we wanted our LFL to look good - not like blind sloths assembled it with their pointy toes. So we ordered one from the LFL folks in the US. And thanks to our Seattle friends Jen & Sara (because LFL doesn't ship their ready-made libraries to Canada) who took delivery of the giant box for us, we were able to get the super-cute Red London Phone Booth design.

We then enlisted our good friend, Darach, from FarmCity Food Garden Construction to help us (i.e. let us watch while he did all the work) install the post to support the library. Then our incredibly nice, friendly, adorable neighbour, Jesse, helped us (i.e. again, let us watch while he did all the work) attach the library to the pole the next day. (OMG, Jesse is the nicest young man ever - he does his mother proud).

We'd been saving up books for a while. We've held a few book swaps with friends plus recently done a cull of our own library, so we have about 4 boxes of books. I was actually worried that this wouldn't be enough for the short term. What if everyone just took books and no one donated books? Well this was an unfounded fear. Less than 24 hours after the initial stocking of our LFL's shelves, we had a few book donations. And today, less than a week after its opening, of the 2 dozen books on the shelves, only 2 of them are our original contributions. Plus, I've got another box inside with overflow. Amazing.

I put a Guest Book in the library - a tip I learned from another LFL Steward (this one in Manitoba). I'm so touched by the little notes people leave. These are a couple of my favourites.

We've even had media visit. Andrea from CBC Radio's Early Edition came by last Thursday (before we were even officially open) and interviewed us. That interview is *hopefully* being aired tomorrow (Thursday, July 18) and will be available on their webpage.

If you're not familiar with Little Free Libraries, the concept is straight-forward - a place where people in a community (whether you live, work, go to school or just pass through regularly) can share their favourite books. If you put a book in the library, you're lending it out into the world. Some will come back (we've already seen two come back and go out again - amazing!) but most won't. But you are sharing something you love with people around you. It's pretty profound.

I actually find the whole LFL movement pretty profound. People build these libraries for various reasons, but often they are a memorial to a loved one (human or animal). Below is a great video about LFLs in Seattle (Northern Voice goers will notice a familiar face - Nancy White talks about her LFL). It's short - about 4.5 minutes. Worth watching. There is a longer documentary about LFLs here - it's about 12 minutes. Also worth watching when you have the time. There is even an LFL Film Festival going on right now where other LFL Stewards have shared their stories.

Over the last week, as I've gone out in the morning to restock the shelves or when I'm out tending our boulevard garden, I've talked with several people who stopped to check out our little red library. Most are charmed and delighted; only two thought we were installing an analog phone. I love listening to the comments as they scan through the books "Oh, that looks good." or "I have a couple of books that would be PERFECT! I'll bring them by tomorrow." And just now, I ran into a mom with her two girls "My older one saw this yesterday and wanted to come back today to share a book of hers."

I don't want to be too sappy or mystical or weepy. But it is more than just a box of books. It connects people - across geography and culture and other barriers of our own crafting. I am humbled every time I go out and see a new note or a new book. Our Little Free Library is one of the best things I have ever done.

So, if you're in East Van, please stop by. And a special plea to people with kids - if you have even one or two books for kids (under 10) that you could donate, please leave a comment or send me a message via our Facebook page. I literally just finished telling a 5 year old girl that we would have books for her "soon". She was upset because there was a book for her teenage sister but not her. I'm going to try to hit a few yard sales or used book stores, but if you have any, please let me know and I will come get them.

And, if you're a LFL Steward in Canada, please leave a comment. I'm going to be pulling together a list of all the LFLs (official and unofficial) in Canada. LittleFreeLibrary.org has a map, but not an easy-to-scan list and not with all the social properties. Several of these libraries have great FB pages or other social sites. I want to pull them all together in one easy to scan & search location. Watch for details about "LFL Canucks" coming soon.