Can you help Shoeboxes Of Love put a smile back on the faces of Aussies in crisis?
In 2011, Kimberley Cepon saw an image that sparked her inner empath. A little girl sat on a pile of rubble after the Queensland floods, her world washed away. In the corner, a mound of sodden teddy bears. “It broke my heart,” Kimberley said. “I just wanted to put a smile back on people’s faces.”
With that, Shoeboxes of Love was born. She put the call out, asking people to fill shoeboxes with personal care items for flood victims. She had no idea how she’d get them there – she’d drive them up herself if she had to. Turns out, she didn’t need a trailer, she needed trucks and shipping containers. More than 10,500 shoeboxes flooded in. People wanted to help, and this was a tangible, affordable, and direct way of spreading kindness.
Fast forward 14 years, and Kimberley and her husband Marcus, from the Adelaide Hills, have sent hundreds of thousands of shoeboxes to Aussies in crisis – from Cyclone Yasi, to bushfires at Pinery, Sampson Flat, and Cudlee Creek, and, more recently, our own drought-stricken farmers. Schools, businesses, scout groups, and community organisations have jumped on board over the years, helping fill shoeboxes and spread kindness to fellow Aussies in their time of need.
Through it all, Kimberley and her small team have remained one hundred percent volunteer-run. They’ve raised young families while juggling work and keeping the charity going. Some days, after school pickup, Kimberley’s kids join her at the Shoeboxes of Love Centre in Mount Barker, packing boxes and sometimes eating dinner on the floor between stacks of donations.
Now, just when Shoeboxes of Love is needed most, they’re struggling too. With floods devastating Queensland, and South Australia in its worst drought on record, the need has never been greater. But rising costs and economic uncertainty is making it a tough task.
“Running a charity is hard at the best of times,” Kimberley said. “But over the past few years it’s started to feel impossible. We know our work matters. Our boxes remind people they’re not forgotten. But we need help.”
Five-year-old Mikaela and eight-year-old Thomas, who have “lived and breathed shoe boxes” wholeheartedly agree! During family discussions about the charity’s future, the Cepon kids weren’t prepared to call it quits. “We need to do this Mummy, we have to help people.”
Shoeboxes of Love doesn’t have a PR manager, a marketing budget, or even paid employees. It’s just humanity, blood, sweat, and a whole lot of heart. They’re looking for a lifeline – a corporate sponsor or ongoing donations to keep them going.
If you can help, whether by donating much-needed funds or filling a shoebox with essentials like toothpaste, deodorant, or sanitary items, visit Shoeboxes of Love. There are 25 drop off points across the state, and every little bit makes a difference.
