AN appeal to help victims of domestic abuse over the Christmas period has received an unprecedented number of donations.
Project Shoebox Thames Valley, in conjunction with Berkshire Women’s Aid (BWA), aims to provide victims and their families with a box of essentials, as well as a few luxury items, to make it through the festive period.
After running appeals on social media and in The Wokingham Paper on December 1, volunteers came together on Wednesday, December 14 to pack up all of the donated items into boxes ready for distribution.
A total of 600 boxes of toiletries, gifts, food items and clothing were donated, up from 250 last year. A total 200 boxes came from students at Wellington College alone.
The donations were collected at the premises of Wokingham town centre website development agency 10 degrees, where volunteers worked to pack up 200 boxes with loose items which had been donated.
Organiser Vicky Kollnberger, who set up the Thames Valley branch of the Project Shoebox appeal, said: “Thank you so much to the people and companies of Thames Valley – the response has been incredible and humbling. Every single donation of items and time has been incredible and could not have reached this number, and been able to positively affect so many women and families without you all. Thank you!”
Jonny Vaughan, Director of 10 degrees said: “As a team we wanted to find a way to positively help the local community. Project Shoebox is a worthy cause to help bring women and children a small box of essentials, luxury items and toys at a difficult time in refuges. Our team helped wrap and pack 200 boxes and we are keen to support this amazing initiative even more next year.”