5 Things We Loved About 2015

With the dust of Shoebox season slowly settling and the winter blues sneaking in, we want to remember the top 5 things we loved about 2015.  Wasn't it amazing to remind thousands of local women that they can love what's inside?

​Can you guess what our top 5 memories are from 2015?!

5. Partnering with Homeless Connect

Thanks to Tips Nail Bar - women left Homeless Connect Toronto with beautiful nails and a little pampering. Tips Nail Bar donated their time and services for the event on November 8th benefiting over 700 Torontonians experiencing homelessness. 

Samsung employees helped The Shoebox Project create more than 200 Shoeboxes that were distributed to the women attending the event. Each Shoebox included little luxuries such as mascara and nail polish as well as some basic necessities, like socks and deodorant. Women receiving the Shoeboxes were amazed by the gorgeous decorations and often expressed their surprise that someone would take the time to put the Shoebox together for them.

4. Holt Renfrew & Give from the Sole

On October 1st Holt Renfrew hosted an inspiring shoe-shopping event resulting in hundreds of empty shoeboxes and thousands of dollars donated to benefit The Shoebox Project. Shoppers in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal, supported the cause and were delighted to give back to their communities in a tangible way. Holt Renfrew employees later filled the empty Shoeboxes with supplies for women in need and donated them to local shelters!

Thank you again to all who came out! We loved the support, all the beautiful shoes, AND Shoeboxes! 

3. Record Number of Shoeboxes and Partnering Organizations

In 2015, a record 24,500 women experiencing homelessness received a Shoebox reminding them they they are loved and valued by their community. In one woman's words:

"At Christmas this year, I received a Shoebox with lovely gifts, a hand-written card, and a letter that someone had taken the time to write. I know they were donated but the fact that I received one...touched me so very deeply that I cried in the car after crying in the wait room."

​The generosity shared by countless volunteers and donors was timely and practical. Thank you for continuing to partner with us to brighten the day of many women who otherwise may feel forgotten during the holiday season. 

2. New Chapters

2015 brought us wonderful new coordinators who setup successful Shoebox Project drives in their communities! Collectively they distributed over 1,600 Shoeboxes in 2015 to new partnering organizations! Click each picture to read more about their 2015 drives.

1. Dream

Our national partner, Dream, was vital to the success of the 2015 Shoebox Project campaign. Not only did they execute a very fruitful annual Shoebox drive, collecting hundreds of Shoeboxes for women in need across the country, but they also opened the doors of their offices and sales centres to act as convenient drop-offs in their communities.

If that wasn’t enough, in Regina, Saskatoon and Calgary, Dream staff graciously took the lead and organized gift drives for the entire city; coordinating logistics with shelters, responding to inquiries from the public, engaging the media, making deliveries, and collecting Shoeboxes right up until the final hours.  Thanks to Dream’s generosity and commitment, 740 women living in Calgary, Saskatoon and Regina shelters received a special gift for the holidays and were given the chance to “Love What’s Inside” during a difficult time.

Dream believes in supporting the well-being and engagement of their employees, and fostering strong, inclusive and caring communities. Learn more about how Dream is building better communities by taking a look at their first Corporate Sustainability Report. We're so proud to wear their logo!