In the holiday spirit of giving to the less fortunate (women’s shelters in particular) comes Project Shoebox. The brainchild of Kate Kenyon, Project Shoebox hosts collection centres across the UK to help donated, unused toiletries and cosmetics reach women in domestic violence refuges.
Mali Taylor-Powell, the Cardiff edition coordinator, said she first saw the programme when it was only a Bromley community project on Facebook in 2014. Thus, she could not participate due to the lack of collection centres in Wales. “But I was told I could set up my own in Cardiff and that’s how it was born in 2014,” adds Mali.
From 26 November to 6 December, people can drop off toothbrushes, shower gel, shampoo, face cream and cosmetics at the collection hub set up in the Sing & Inspire office in Cardiff Bay.
“The Cardiff edition last year ended up with 370 boxes, but this year we are looking at close to 600,” exclaims Mali.
Here is what Project Shoebox is in a nutshell. Courtesy Project Shoebox