Halifax Rotary report on a project started 10 years ago, when having filled 1500 international shoeboxes amongst the 7 Rotary clubs in Calderdale, Rotarians had many comments from the local communities who suggested that ‘charity should start at home’.
Calderdale Rotary clubs took this on board ever since have run their shoebox scheme to the benefit of local people. Over the last 10 years they have distributed over 18,000 filled boxes with largely three types of fillings namely: children's, toiletries, and food.
In the lead up to Christmas 2021, over 1,500 boxes were filled with orders for 20 charities in Calderdale. The orders from the charities come in during October and November each year with Rotarians aiming to have them distributed by 17 December.
Halifax Rotary report they always have helpers which include employees of Royal & Sun Alliance in Halifax. The business supported employees taking paid leave to ‘do their bit’ for our local communities.
After the 2021 Rotary shoeboxes had been distributed, Rotary received a communication via one of its school supporters, namely Crossley Heath Grammar School. Rotary were informed by the school that a company in Bradford, the Mibelle Group, had learnt of the wonderful appeal Rotary was successfully running and asked if they could make a gift some of their products to the charitable organisations. The Mibelle Group is a Swiss owned company, manufacturing and retailing personal beauty products.
The kind donations from Mibelle Group were distributed throughout January 2022 to charities supported by Calderdale Rotary clubs along with nurses and staff at the Halifax Royal and the ambulance service.
