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On 31st July 2009, RIBI President David Fowler visited the Rotary Shoebox Warehouse near Preston as part of his visit to the area.
Among those greeting him there were DG Elizabeth Tatman and Rotary Shoebox Chairman Peter Clare. President David and his wife Daphne were both very impressed with the way that the Shoebox Scheme works and is organised. They both took part in a session of sorting and palletising boxes ready for sending to children and families in Eastern Europe.

The attached photo shows President David with members of Rotary District 1280.  
Leon MacLeod - Rotary Shoebox Scheme

Donations

With the economic problems in general that the country seems to be facing these days, the dramatic rise in fuel costs over the past twelve months has presented us in particular with some headaches. Added to this, increased road tax and insurance costs are forcing us to look again at our finances.
While many Rotary Clubs use the Shoebox Scheme there are others who support us in principle but who do not actively fill boxes.
If yours is such a Club, then please consider making a donation to help towards the cost of delivering the box gifts to Eastern Europe.
We do have individual schools throughout the country who fill Rotary boxes but are not connected to a particular Rotary Club. They find it hard to contribute fully towards the cost of delivering their filled boxes.

Perhaps you could consider sponsoring such a school.

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The Rotary Shoebox Scheme is not just for Christmas!

The Scheme

Originally started in District 1280 in 1994, the Rotary Shoebox Scheme was then intended to provide children of Iasi, in north-east Romania with Christmas gifts. Since then, the scheme has become an RIBI International Project and every District in RIBI is involved in this popular Scheme.

Gifts are now sent out throughout the year to many different countries in Central  and Eastern Europe. Toys are especially useful all year round for Birthday presents in the Orphanages, Homes and Hospitals. All age groups, including teenagers, have welcomed the boxes.

In addition to Romania, Shoebox gifts have been delivered to Belarus, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Albania, Croatia and Kosovo.

Each year we now send around 60,000 Shoeboxes or gifts. SEE RECENT DELIVERIES

The strengths of the Rotary Shoebox Scheme over other similar schemes are:

1 It operates all year round.

2 The boxes are distributed to known contacts

3 We can guarantee that every Shoebox goes to a deserving child or family.

The boxes now travel either overland by lorry, or by sea container. We use the services of International Aid Trust (IAT), a Christian Charity who have a long association with Rotary in the north-west of England and who help with both Transportation and Warehouse storage.

Distribution is always through known contacts.

We are officially tied in with Hope & Homes and regularly supply their foster homes with boxes of gifts.

Spurgeons Child Care have been involved with the scheme since its inception and we deliver to their many children’s homes throughout Romania on a regular basis.

The Rotary Club of Iasi are also regular distributors for us to Orphanages and Children’s Hospitals in the area.

IAT also have some children’s homes and camps in Belarus and Ukraine where we deliver.

Have you tried it yet?

The Shoebox Scheme is easy for clubs to operate and ultimately fulfils the Rotary ethic of individual time involvement. By visiting schools or youth groups to collect the filled boxes, there is an opportunity to address the children about how and to whom the boxes will be delivered. A short explanation of Rotary can easily be slotted in.

The advantage with the scheme is that it can be both a geography and social lesson for the children. However, the main advantage is that it can be a positive way for ‘Children to Help Children.’

Leon MacLeod
PR Rotary Shoebox Scheme