You can make a difference at Christmas

Following your generous donations, last Christmas, thousands of vulnerale men, women and children enjoyed gifts of love.

We want you to make a difference to the life of a child, teenager or adult this year by collecting and filling a special shoebox with suitable gifts.

Last year, more than 2,000 shoeboxes were distributed by the Rotary of Calderdale and Voluntary Action for Calderdale to dozens of charities across the region including Calderdale homeless charity SmartMove, Halifax’s substance misuse charity Basement Project and children’s counselling charity Noah’s Ark.

This year’s appeal has already got off to a promising and positive start with 13 Calderdale schools already on board in pledging to make Christmas a happier time for someone less fortunate.

Organiser and Rotarian Bryan Harkness said: “Shoeboxes are now instore and ready for collection - we hope the public will show their support and make the Rotary Shoebox Appeal 2014 a massive success for Calderdale.”

Shoeboxes can be collected from various Calderdale outlets - see box below - and should be returned with gifts including toys, toiletries, tinned/dried foods and winter woolies, suitable for a specific aged male or female child, teenager or adult in mind by December 12 to any of the outlets.

The eight week campaign, sponsored by Community Foundation for Calderdale, is officially on and we hope charitable souls across the region show their support to make Christmas a happier time for some of Calderdale’s most vulnerable children, teeenagers, men and women.

Here’s how you can make a little boy or girl, a man or woman smile this Christmas day:

Collect your shoeboxes from participating outlets:

Halifax: Morrisons, Tesco, King Cross, Sainsbury’s and Harveys of Halifax Cookshop. Brighouse: Tesco. Elland: Morrisons. Sowerby Bridge: Tesco.

For large business, school or organistation orders contact Rotarian Bryan Harkness on 07770471698 or email [email protected]

Shoeboxes can be collected now and should be returned to any of the stores by December 12.

Fill a shoebox for a specific age and sex of a baby, child, teenager, adult or elderly person.

Boxes can be filled with toys, tinned or dried foods, stationary, as well as winter woolies including hats, gloves and scarves in special winter warmer shoeboxes for people living on the streets of Calderdale.

If you’re an individual, school, company or organisation and you’re filling a shoebox in this year’s appeal - get in touch and tell us why you’re doing it.