As many Sonoma County residents are gearing up for the holiday season a number of volunteers are busy packing up shoeboxes with tooth brushes, novelty toys and pencils for the growing number of homeless children in Sonoma County.
“Most of the items here go to various shelters throughout Sonoma County,” Love in a Shoebox project manager, Angie Watkins, said. “However, we also have items for families who find themselves in unexpected hard times, such as a house fire or illness. When a child loses everything, we want to be there.”
Eleven units at Expressway Self Storage in Rohnert Park are stuffed with items ranging from a deck of cards to dining room tables awaiting the call from some family in need.
Love in a Shoebox began as Santa’s Shoebox in 2000 by Gail Knecht (pronounced “connect”) as a way to provide gifts to homeless and needy children in Rohnert Park.
Knecht started filling between about 700 shoeboxes per year until 2004 when she was diagnosed with cancer for the sixth time. While lying in a hospital bed, she passed the nonprofit’s work to Watkins and today still volunteers to pack and wrap shoeboxes.
When Watkins took over in 2005, she expanded the program to all of Sonoma County, trying to meet the demand that reached of up to 2,000 boxes in 2007.
In 2008 the name Santa’s Shoebox was changed to Love in a Shoebox to reflect the need homeless children face year-round. The program has been adopted by Sue Piland of Rohnert Park under Sue Cares, a licensed nonprofit that goes to Washington D.C. and advocates for foster children.
Because Shoebox volunteers provide gifts for local foster children and the homeless, Sue Cares adopting the program makes it part of the nonprofit, which in turn helps more people open up their pocketbooks since it qualifies as a tax-deductible donation.
“There are occasions where the actions or decisions of the adults force them into these shelters, but the children are simply along for the ride,” Watkins explained. “And loneliness is all that it is cracked up to be. Most of the area shelters do not permit the children to bring in large items, but do allow them to have the shoeboxes. Sometimes it is all the possessions they have in the world.”
Each shoebox is filled with personal care items, educational items and some small toys. They are separated according to gender, age and wrapped to reflect the time of year. “Sometimes we get a call from the fire department or other emergency personnel to let us know that a family has lost everything,” Watkins said. “We need to let these children know it can get better. A small gift can inspire a child.”
This year Watkins expects to fill as many as 2,500 shoeboxes for the 10 local shelters that call. “It is a shame we still have this need in 2009,” she said. “The economy has strained a lot of families. Some are right on the edge and could use all the help they can get.”
As families spend more time at home focusing on game nights, Watkins hopes some will volunteer to have a family shoebox wrapping night. “We could use volunteers to sort items for the shoeboxes and wrap them. We are also hoping to pick up some new corporate or small business sponsors,” she said, “We are a nonprofit organization and every donation is tax deductible.”
For more information about the Love in a shoebox program or to make a donation, call 588-8878.