Shoebox Appeals

Each year churches in the district help to pack and wrap shows boxes full of gifts and essential items and donate them to charities. The shoeboxes make their way to children and families who may not otherwise receive Christmas gifts.

The Crossing in Worksop packed 100 shoeboxes and donated them to Link to Hope charity which takes them to Ukraine and other countries. For a second year an army of volunteers and some funding from Foresters Financial made it all possible.

In Barnsley around 300 shoeboxes where collected from around the circuit. They were all packed full of presents and much needed items ready to be delivered in time for Christmas. Barnsley Circuit support Blythswood Care, a charity which distributes the boxes to schools, hospitals, orphanages, care homes and to low income households.

Sheffield Circuit support the Sheffield Shoebox Appeal which providesaround 2800 filled shoeboxes to vulnerable people in Sheffield which are distributed to about 40 charities. They also provide about 500 Mother’s Day bags for vulnerable women in Sheffield. All the boxes and bags are filled with donations from the wonderful people of Sheffield and beyond including from some of the Methodist Churches in Sheffield Circuit.The Circuit Office also helps the appeal throughout the year by providing storage space for empty shoeboxes, Christmas wrapping paper, gift bags, and goods that have been donated through the year or left over from Christmas that can be used for Mother’s Day.

All boxes where blessed before being handed over to the charities for their onward journeys.

As we journey to Advent, we are looking at how the Devine shines out of our ordinary and supporting shoebox appeals allow us to show care and kindness towards a stranger in need.

Has your church or circuit supported a shoebox appeal this year, we'd love to hear about it?