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Most Australians spend Christmas with family or friends, relaxing by the pool, chilling out, or attending a large family reunion; however, this is not the case for homeless youth. Many young people will be without a place to live during the holiday season. Every night, 116,427 people in Australia are homeless. There are 27,680 young people aged 12 to 24 among them.
Gali Blacher and Maddy Jones, co-founders of social enterprise The Good Box, are doing everything they can to keep our homeless community safe, fed, and loved this holiday season. "We create beautifully packaged gift boxes that the general public purchases online and then distributes to our homeless community." We currently have 4000 orders from charity partners for our Good Boxes, which include lovely items like a cap, hygiene items, food, and unique gifts like beautifully scented body wash. "This holiday season, more than ever, help is needed because homelessness does not stop," says Gali Blacher, co-founder of The Good Box. "We've received numerous phone calls from charities all over Australia asking for help for young people in need." Many young people will be separated from their families as a result of domestic violence or family breakdown, and they, like everyone else, deserve to be cheered up! "Each box contains a personalised note to help instil dignity and brighten the day of someone going through a difficult time," says Madelyn Jones, co-founder of The Good Box.
The Good Boxes contain memorable holiday messaging to remind our youth in need that they are loved and that someone is thinking of them. Last week, The Good Box received a phone call from a youth charity worker from a small organisation who stated that they would need 400 Good Boxes to support at least 400 youth who have nowhere else to go during the holidays. The Good Box has added 400 boxes to their growing list of orders from charities across Australia, which will be packed in Brisbane by their incredible volunteers. This is why, more than ever, assistance is required, as the demand for Good Boxes has more than doubled since last Christmas.
The Good Box provides essential items needed to keep our homeless community connected and communicated with, as the homeless community is extremely isolated, which worsens during the holiday season. If The Good Box does not receive additional funding, they will be unable to meet the current demand from their charitable partners, which is over 4,000 Good Christmas Boxes. "We are currently inundated with requests to send Good Boxes for the holiday season, and we simply cannot keep up." "We need more community help to help our friends in need," Blacher says.
How to Assist the Homeless This Holiday Season
Donate a Good Box for $21.99 or more at www.thegoodbox.com.au, and it will be delivered directly to an Australian experiencing homelessness. You can also purchase this as a gift in memory of a loved one. The Good Box works with over 30 charities across Australia, including Orange Sky Australia, MCC Carenet, Bethany, Vinnies, Melbourne City Mission, Mission Australia, Anglicare, and others.
The Good Box is a social enterprise based in Australia that creates beautifully packaged gift boxes for homeless people. We're on a mission to dispel homelessness myths in order to reduce isolation and increase communication. Give a box to a homeless person you see or choose to have it distributed by one of our fantastic charity partners. In either case, you'll brighten someone's day. Visit the website for a complete list of what's inside each box, as well as additional information.
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