United Way NCA Shoebox Project a Huge Success: Thank You

"The Shoebox Project offers Bethesda Cares an opportunity to partner with United Way to get supplies to folks who are medically vulnerable and homeless. Many of the people living on the street are long-term mentally ill and/or have substance abuse issues and lack any social support." - John Mendez, Bethesda Cares outreach specialist, quoted in a 6/25 Bethesda Patch article

Last week, United Way of the National Capital Area hosted its annual Day of Action. This year’s Day of Action volunteer efforts were focused on concluding United Way NCA’s inaugural Shoebox Project.

Throughout the day volunteers helped decorate, sort, assemble and pack more than 2,000 shoeboxes - twice United Way NCA's goal for this year's project and filled them with personal care and emergency preparedness items. The shoeboxes were then loaded into moving trucks and delivered to 24 member nonprofit organizations in United Way NCA’s eight regions. These shoeboxes will be redistributed to the elderly, veterans and the homeless around the greater Washington region.

Thank you to those who donated a filled shoebox, provided a contribution to purchase a prefilled shoebox or volunteered your time. This project would not have been a success without your support.

Read below to discover a few reasons why these shoeboxes are so valuable to those who receive them:

Personal care and emergency preparedness items can't be purchased with food stamps. Food stamps can only be used for food.
Many of the needy residents in our area have to go through significant, chronic stress day in and day out - and these shoeboxes contain items that can bring immediate relief, and hope.
The shoeboxes will be distributed at a time of year when area pantries are low, such as the summer.

How Your Shoebox Supports those in Need
A few quotes from our member nonprofit shoebox recipients

These shoeboxes are a small token to remind the women and families in our programs that they are surrounded by a caring community that supports them all along their path to a safe and stable life. - Wyatt Schroeder, Communications and Outreach Specialist, Doorways for Women and Families

When our homeless Veterans come to the SE Veterans Service Center, some don't have anything. The shoebox is a nice gift for them to receive when they move because it provides them the basic essentials, which we sometimes take for granted. It gives the person a little uplift to know that someone who put a shoebox together for them thought about them that day. It can bring tears to a man’s eyes. Even for the people moving out of our facility, it’s a great gift for them to leave with. - Gregory Crawford, Executive Director, Access Housing

Some who receive the box will have spent days walking and sleeping on the streets of DC, and will welcome needed sunscreen, lip balm, and a rain poncho. Others will have come to our doors with damaged shoes and may need band aids or ointment to care for their tired feet. And still others will be happy to receive a can opener to prepare the many nonperishable items they may have been offered in their travels. - Chaplain Deborah Chambers, Director of Communications & Outreach, Central Union Mission

When you live on the edge of a living wage, every penny counts. One of the most expensive shopping items in households is hygiene and safety supplies. Honestly, sometimes a person sacrifices these items so they can buy food or pay the rent. With lower hygiene comes discomfort and a potential loss of dignity. Never underestimate the power of soap and shampoo when appearance can be a factor in employment or daily interactions with other people. - Paul Hebblethwaite, Director of Development. The Salvation Army, National Capital Area Command

Those providing boxes will ensure that a significant portion of those we serve receive the vital everyday products most of us take for granted. The shoebox is a package of encouragement and a gracious act of support for those accustomed to making do on DC’s streets with little resources. - Chaplain Deborah Chambers, Director of Communications & Outreach, Central Union Mission

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Did You Know?

In 2011, the Lamb Center, a United Way NCA member nonprofit, provided: 44,725 meals,12,952 showers, 9,531 loads of laundry, 270 AA meetings, 575 job counseling sessions, and more.

The Capital Area Food Bank reports more than 641,000 residents of the Washington region are experiencing or at risk of hunger, including more than 100,000 in Fairfax County alone.

Residents in Ward 8 have to travel far to gain access to a public library. This distance can make it hard for residents to continue to succeed in their education.

Residents in Ward 7 have to travel far to gain access to a public library. This distance can make it hard for residents to continue to succeed in their education.

Residents in Ward 5 have to travel far to gain access to a public library. This distance can make it hard for residents to continue to succeed in their education.

In Ward 8, over 40% of single-family home and condominium sales resulted from foreclosure completions or owners selling under distress.

45.0% of residents living in Ward 8 receive food stamps.

In Ward 7, over 40% of single-family home and condominium sales resulted from foreclosure completions or owners selling under distress.

35.0% of residents living in Ward 7 receive food stamps.

5.0% of residents living in Ward 2 receive food stamps.

9.8% of residents in Ward 4 are unemployed.

3.2% of residents in Ward 3 are unemployed.

6.0% of residents in Ward 2 are unemployed.

In Ward 1, over 40% of single-family home and condominium sales resulted from foreclosure completions or owners selling under distress.

12.0% of people living in Ward 1 receive food stamps.

6.0% of people live below the poverty level in Prince William County.

9.4% of students in Prince William County drop out of high school.

More than 130,000 residents in Prince William County do not have health insurance.

8.9% of students in Montgomery County do not graduate high school.

In Montgomery County, 1 in 6 children under 18 is at risk of hunger.

6.7% of people live below the poverty level in Montgomery County.

13.9% of students in Prince George's County do not graduate high school.

7.8% of people live below the poverty level in Prince George’s County.

In Prince George's County, approximately 1 in 4 children under 18 is at risk of hunger.

30,000 children in Northern Virginia live in poverty.

In Northern Virginia, 1 in 6 children under 18 is at risk of hunger.

In seven out of the eight wards in the city, residents are closer to fast food restaurants than large grocery stores, which could have a negative impact on residents’ health.

17.2% of residents in the District of Columbia live below the poverty level.

19.0% of residents in the District of Columbia receive food stamps.

11.9% of residents in the District of Columbia are unemployed.

22.0% of students in the District of Columbia do not graduate high school.

32% of children live below the poverty level in the District of Columbia.

In the District of Columbia, nearly 1 in 2 children under 18 is at the risk of hunger.

12.5% of residents living in Maryland do not graduate high school.

9.2% of people live below the poverty level in Maryland.

Last year 2-1-1 Maryland answered 240,000 calls around basic needs such as food, shelter, eviction prevention and financial assistance for prescriptions

Ward 8 public schools have the lowest average share of students testing at required standards, only 33% in reading and 32% in math.

Over 28% of residents living in Ward 8 are unemployed.

Nearly 20% of people living in Ward 7 are unemployed.

67% of children living in Ward 6 are below the poverty level.

15.8% of people living in Ward 5 are unemployed.

There are more than 40,000 uninsured residents living in Loudoun County.

6.1% of students living in Loudoun County drop out of high school.

Nearly 8,000 people in Loudoun County live on an income of $20,000 to support a family of four.

10.6% of people in Fairfax County do not have health insurance.

5.6% of people live below the poverty level in Fairfax County.

7.9% of students living in Fairfax County drop out of high school.

10.5% of children in Arlington County live below the poverty level.

9.4% of students in Arlington County drop out of high school.

More than 3,000 people in Northern Virginia are homeless, 10% of these live in Alexandria, Virginia.

In the past year, 2-1-1 has answered approximately 632,000 calls from the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia from residents seeking services.

Last year 2-1-1 Maryland answered 240,000 calls around basic needs such as food, shelter, eviction prevention and financial assistance for prescriptions.

In Northern Virginia, 1 in 6 children under 18 is at risk of hunger.

In Prince George's County, approximately 1 in 4 children under 18 is at risk of hunger.

In Montgomery County, 1 in 6 children under 18 is at risk of hunger.

In the District of Columbia, nearly 1 in 2 children under 18 is at the risk of hunger.

Kids who attend a high quality preschool are more likely to graduate from high school and have higher lifetime earnings.

Every $1 invested in high quality early childhood education saves taxpayers $7.

Upon entering first grade, the average middle-class child has spent 1,000 to 1,700 hours of reading time with picture books; a low-income child averages just 25 hours.

Food stamps last an average of 2 1/2 weeks.

By age three, middle-class children have a vocabulary of about 1,100 words compared to 525 words for low-income children.

According to the Partnership for America's Economic Success, if 50 first graders enter school with reading problems, 44 of them will still have difficulties reading in the fourth grade.

The 2009/2010 official federal poverty level for a family of four is an annual household income of $22,050. 185% of poverty is $40,792, a level at which people still struggle with hunger.

The Rand Corporation states that 90% of a person's brain growth happens before the age of 3.

More than 130,000 residents in Prince William County do not have health insurance.

Our Impact

Success Stories

Camp Fire Patuxent Area Council: Sam and Nikki’s Story

We had the privilege of having two children at Camp Fire, both adopted with special needs and identified as having serious learning and behavioral problems, participate in our program.