Residents of Tayside and Fife contribute almost 10% of all Christmas shoeboxes donated to UK charity, Blythswood Care.
Kind-hearted volunteers in Courier Country hand in around 10,000 boxes full of clothing, toiletries and other essentials for people living in poorer countries each year.
The charity expects to donate its two millionth shoebox this year, 13 years after it first began.
For the first time, migrants will also receive gifts as part of the project. In previous years, many had been travelling and didn’t want extra luggage, but as borders across Europe closed to them this year, many are now in camps for a longer period of time.
The boxes are sent to a range of countries including Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, Pakistan and Ukraine, where they are given to people of all ages.
Unlike other shoebox appeals, Blythswood gives the boxes to people of all ages, not just children and youngsters.
Danny Muschate from Blythswood said the shoeboxes make a massive difference to the lives of those who receive them.
“Tayside and Fife gives about 10,000 each year, going by the last couple of years. We have around 116,000 from the UK and at least half of those are Scottish,” he said.
“We will be giving to some migrants in Serbia for the first time because many of them are now staying in the same place, whereas last year they were on the move.
“We have also given them around 200,000 bananas in the last 15 months.
“The simplest thing I would say to encourage someone to get involved is it isn’t difficult to choose gifts for people who have so very little. By filling a shoebox, you are giving people hope.
“Not only will this be the first time many people have received something at Christmas, it will also be the first time many of them have received something new, and not secondhand or recycled.”
Once collected from pick up points across the country, the boxes are sorted by volunteers and staff in local depots or in Glasgow.
Partner organisations in the destination countries then request a certain number, which are sent out by lorry. They are then distributed withAin the countries.
Anyone wishing to donate boxes this year should have them ready by November 4 for collections to start on November 7.
A range of collection points are situated across Tayside and Fife, with full details and timings available at www.shoeboxappeal.org.Â
