The Nanaimo Shoebox Project

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Nanaimo, BC
The Nanaimo Shoebox Project

For women who have been displaced from their homes and estranged from their families, special occasions can be particularly challenging.

We are a registered charity that collects and distributes gift-filled Shoeboxes to local women impacted by homelessness
We aim to foster safe, supportive and inclusive communities by facilitating compassionate gestures of kindness Often, women report feeling disconnected from society, invisible and alone. A Shoebox gift is a powerful reminder for a woman that she has not been forgotten and that s

he remains a valued and respected member of her community. For those giving gifts, The Shoebox Project is a tangible and creative opportunity to give back directly to someone in your very own community. It’s a small, simple gesture of kindness that has an immediate, positive impact on the woman who receives it.

12/19/2025

The Nanaimo Shoebox Project is completely run by volunteers! Thank you so much to all the volunteers who fulfilled different roles to ensure a successful drive this year: Coordinating, connecting with the community, social media managing, driving to pick up shoeboxes and inspecting/assembling the gifts! 🎁💝

12/17/2025

We would like to extend a special thank you to London Drugs Nanaimo North Town Centre for their support for the 2025 drive! Staff really came together to help out in a last-minute situation and we so appreciate you!

12/15/2025

Nanaimo, you are amazing!! Not only did we reach our goal but we surpassed it with 232 shoeboxes collected and assembled! That’s 232 local, wonderful people who will receive a reminder that we as a community care about them ❤️

The shoeboxes were collected, sorted and assembled last week by a wonderful group of volunteers, then they were picked up by the recipient organizations who will deliver them: Island Crisis Care Society, Risebridge and Pacifica Housing.

It takes a community to achieve this and we’d like to thank everyone who donated shoebox gifts, funding and in-kind donations of products; our five drop-off locations who give their time and space to keep the shoeboxes safe for pickup; the local news organizations for getting the word out; the Royal Canadian Legion Mount Benson Branch 256 for donating space for volunteers to sort and assemble; Ecole Quarterway students for contributing some beautiful hand-made cards; and all the volunteers - and we had more than ever this year! - for giving their time, effort and gas power for this worthy cause!

12/10/2025

Thank you to for donating 15 boxes full of beautiful gifts! Our drive is now complete - the volunteers are sorting and assembling the many donated gifts for delivery. We will have a total tally soon - thank you! 🩷
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12/08/2025

It's the last day of our 2025 drive! Please get your gifts in to one of our drop-off locations as we are delivering them tomorrow to the recipient organizations! Thanks so much to our wonderful donors for supporting some amazing members of our community

12/06/2025

Thank you so much to in Nanaimo for hand-crafting these adorable backpack buddies in vibrant colours to help Shoebox recipients stay visible in the darker months. 🐙
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12/05/2025

Only three days left in our 2025 Nanaimo Shoebox Project Drive! Please drop off your shoebox full of new winter warm wear, self-care items and special fun gifts to one of our five drop-off locations in Nanaimo before Dec. 8.
*Please note the Nanaimo North Town Centre drop-off is located at the admin office, which is open Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm.
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12/03/2025

A big shoutout to Lush Cosmetics for donating their amazing body wash products! Thank you for helping us make a difference. 🌿💚
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12/02/2025

One more week to go in the 2025 Nanaimo Shoebox Project Drive to create a special gift for a wonderful person in our community!
Please drop off your shoebox full of new winter warm wear, self-care items and special fun gifts to one of our five drop-off locations in Nanaimo before Dec. 8. Let's reach our goal of 210 shoebox gifts and hand out a few smiles this holiday!
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11/28/2025

Thank you so much to Island Rain Natural Soap for donating a whole box of "Wings of Change" butterfly soaps! Island Rain Natural Soap is locally-made in Nanaimo and their Wings of Change come with this writeup:
"Life is constantly changing. Sometimes the change is good, other times it is difficult. Butterflies have long been a symbol of beauty, freedom and change. But did you know the butterfly is also a symbol of courage and survival? A butterfly is one of the few creatures that endures a complete metamorphosis to become what it was meant to be. A butterfly can still fly and care for itself, with much of its wing surface damaged. So, when you find yourself facing one of life's many changes... Remember the butterfly!"
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11/26/2025

A heartfelt thank-you to for donating such beautifully crafted hand-sewn hair scrunchies.

11/24/2025

Only two weeks left in the 2025 Nanaimo Shoebox Project campaign! Don’t forget to drop off your gifts by December 8 🩷

Address

Nanaimo, BC

Website

https://www.shoeboxproject.ca/chapters/nanaimo

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