THE SHOEBOX APPEAL 2009

A big thank you for everyone who contributed to the 2008 appeal.  We are extremely grateful for every single shoebox that came through our door.  We are always amazed that people take such time and trouble to fill a shoebox for a family that they will never meet.  

For those that don't know the Link Romania Family Shoebox Appeal has been in existence since 1992 and has brought happiness and hope to many thousands of people over the years. It's a really simple idea and anyone in the UK can pack up a shoebox to send as a Christmas gift to a desperately poor family in Eastern Europe. Over the years, we have sent in excess of 450,000 shoeboxes to over 80 different locations.

These boxes are given to poor families many of whom do not have running water, heating or electricity.  They live in terrible conditions and struggle to survive.  No one is interested in them except for us and we want to show we love and care for them  One way is to wade through the mud to their ‘houses’ and give them a shoebox at Christmas. We cannot explain to you how much they are appreciated. See the 2008 Delivery Diary for the latest report.                                             

Registrations for this years 09 appeal are now open.  We invite everyone to fill a shoebox with Christmas gifts for a needy family. We transport the boxes to various depots, where they are distributed to all sorts of locations, from remote villages, to hospital wards, to charity kindergartens and shanty towns. Shoeboxes are taken by horse and cart, often in snow and on the mud roads that are still very much a feature of the countryside!

We do emphasise that our Shoeboxes are for a family.  The need is just as great whether aged 8 or 80.  The families that we give shoeboxes too generally live in one or two rooms together in the same house – Parents, children, grandparents and sometimes aunt, uncles and cousins too so we want each member of the family to have a gift not only the children. See What To pack.

It's Not Us!

You may have seen some negative press about certain other shoebox appeals and we would like to assure you that we are an entirely separate organisation, with our own printed material, nationwide network of collectors, etc.

We DO NOT:

• Employ professional fund-raisers with a hard-sell approach to the appeal
• Although we are a Christian organisation we do not add any Christian (or other) literature to the Shoeboxes  
• We do not take liquids or anything else out of your boxes.  If a box is particularly light we do carefully open it and add a few more items but this is rare as we generally get such good boxes given to us.
• We do not distribute Shoeboxes according to the recipient's ethnic origin or faith, only their need