SAN ANTONIO – If you or your children are on Spring Break right now, it is a perfect time to help those in the community who need it most.
KSAT Community is partnering with the United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County for their 8th annual Shoebox Project.
“We definitely need the community’s help by decorating a shoe box, filling it with those everyday toiletry items that we list on our flier. And then you can drop it off at the United Way or the San Antonio Food Bank,” Brandyn Moore-Rodriguez with the United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County said.
There are requests for more than 10,000 shoeboxes that will go to help local organizations, and they are focused on a wide variety of groups, from children to veterans.
“Over the years, we’ve seen more items on toothbrush, toothpaste, but we need those other things -- so that’s lotions, shampoo, conditioner, feminine hygiene products, Band-Aids, those are the things that we don’t get a lot of,” Moore-Rodriguez said.
Over the last two years, the San Antonio area has seen a lot of people deal with adversity. There’s also been a rise in homelessness, so the project is meant to help those who are struggling financially.
“It’s going to help them, because again, you and I, we can literally go to Walmart, Walgreens and get these items. But there’s people in our community that have to make that choice. You know, do I make sure that my child has socks on their feet? Or do I make sure that they may have shampoo or toiletry items? Again, it’s a very simple project, a simple gift that makes a difference across the community,” Moore-Rodriguez said.
This year’s collection will take place until April 29. In the past, the Shoebox Project has reached about 7,000 donations, but this year, there are more requests – especially when it comes to local schools.
“Unfortunately, our caseworkers there, they’re seeing students daily and they notice the needs of these students. And so the students are able to go to this social worker in the campuses and let them know, ‘Hey, I need some deodorant’ and it’s something that’s very, very simple. It’s a lot of people in our community, but it does make a difference across our community as well,” he said.
If you have any questions about the program and how to take part, you can go to the website by clicking here.