“FRESH START” SHOEBOXES

You and your team can encourage our homeless neighbors today—and all you need is a shoebox! We invite you to decorate a shoebox and fill it with small necessities that can help keep a homeless man or woman clean and safe. Remember that being homeless often means having no access to supplies we take for granted. You can fill your box with these suggested items and more: You and your team can encourage our homeless neighbors today—and all you need is a shoebox! We invite you to decorate a shoebox and fill it with small necessities that can help keep a homeless man or woman clean and safe. Remember that being homeless often means having no access to supplies we take for granted.

You can fill your box with these suggested items and more

• Hair comb/brush
• Hand towel
• Travel size shampoo
• Travel size soap
• Travel size lotion
• Deodorant
• Travel size tissue packs
• Travel size baby wipes Travel size hand sanitizer
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Adhesive bandages
• Antibiotic ointment
• Lip balm
• Tampons/Panty liners
• Warm socks
• Ziplock bags

**If you do not have a shoebox, you may put all the items in a large Ziploc (2 or 2.5 gallon) bag instead of using a box.

Click here for the flyer

Please drop off your filled “Fresh Start” boxes for either men or women between 7 am and 7 pm any day of the week at:

Central Union Mission
65 Massachusetts Avenue
NW Washington, DC 20001

Why is your help important?

Homeless people often come to us with few personal belongings. With your support Central Union Mission can provide for even more of these folks’ basic needs for: shelter, clothing and hygiene products.

What will the shoeboxes mean to those the Mission serves?

Your “Fresh Start” box is a gracious act of support for those struggling in the Washington metropolitan area. Please choose to fill your box for a woman or a man, and then decorate it with construction paper, crayons or any way you prefer. You can include encouraging notes or Bible verses, too.

How will homeless people benefit from what is inside?

Some who receive the box will have spent days walking and sleeping outdoors and will welcome comfortable socks, lip balm or a rain poncho. Others will have come to our doors with damaged shoes needing Band-Aids or ointment to care for their tired feet. Still others will be happy for a can opener to prepare the nonperishable items they may have been offered in their travels.

For more information on how to help, please contact Marc Obrien at mobrien@missiondc.org.