I wrote a post a couple of weeks ago about #CarnLIVal and why we do it, and touched on the fact that a huge part of what we do is fundraising for charities both locally and nationally. As well as this, we've collected food bank donations - but we wanted to do something a bit different with it being Christmas, and after much deliberation the #CarnLIVal Christmas Shoeboxes were born...
One massive thing I remember about Christmas as a kid is Operation Christmas Child, an appeal run throughout the country where you fill a shoebox with gifts to send to a child in need. I remember picking out sparkly gloves and a pink toothbrush and excitedly ticking the box for a girl my age, knowing that somewhere out there a kid like me would be able to celebrate Christmas too. And back then, it was about doing something nice for boys and girls in war-torn, poverty-stricken countries thousands of miles away - but as you get older, you start realising that there are people closer to home who need our help too.
Liverpool doesn't have the highest number of rough sleepers, but it does have a substantial amount - at any one time there's around 30 people sleeping rough on the streets of central Liverpool, which is 30 too many. I'm not going to delve into the who's and the why's and start casting blame but I am going to say that something needs to be done, and if our little #CarnLIVal can do something to help then we certainly will.
So with that in mind, we've asked our attendees to make a shoebox, in a similar way to OCC, but for us to give out to homeless people in the city: wrapped up like a present, filled with necessities and nice bits. There's 20 of us at the event, so hopefully that's 20 boxes, and as always if anyone reading this would like to make a shoebox or donate money for us to make extra boxes then we would absolutely love that - email me at katygilroyblog@hotmail.co.uk or get in touch via social media to discuss!
What will be in the boxes? I hear you cry. All sorts, really - we want to give people practical items such as deodorant, tampons, gloves, cereal bars, water bottles, socks and wet wipes, as well as nice items to make life a bit happier: a Christmas card, a book, playing cards, puzzles, a stuffed toy (you're never too old, honest), sweets and that sort of thing. Anything to make peoples' lives that little bit easier.
Please, if you want to make a box, do get in touch and we can have a chat about it - #CarnLIVal is something that's so much fun for us, but it really is an amazing chance for bloggers in the city to give back to our local community, and I'm so proud of us all.
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