OUR FIRST COLLECTIONS

On Sunday 2nd November 2014 we made our first collection of shoeboxes. A bit early you may say, and yes it is, as officially our collections don't start until 14th November and the warehouse doesn't open until 17th. However, when you have a church that has made up shoeboxes for some years, does not have room to store them and wants to celebrate them going on the first leg of their journey how can you say no?
Heather and Jenny were invited to St Andrew's in Cobham where, during the family service, they were invited up to the front to receive the boxes and afterwards the whole congregation made a human chain through the church, down the path and into the lane where the car was parked.
140 boxes later the car was bulging at the seams.

St. Andrew's church support many people, places and organisations, we are so happy we are one of them. Another one is Heart for Romania who were also there on the 2nd November selling some crafts handmade in Romania and one of the young Romanian boys called Lorand Stefan told us he had received a shoebox when he was young.

Lorand remembers at the age of 7 his school received shoeboxes, he said he was happy to get this gift and remembers it had come from Manchester.

Then we started in ernest with collections on 13th Nov so we would have a good bit of work to start with on Monday. We have also been asked to take shoeboxes from Eastleigh who have not been able to get a warehouse.

Well it's all history now as we have a mountain of shoeboxes all going to the children who need them most.