3 Mins Read
How was Box of Hope started?
Box of Hope was started in 2008 by Nicole Woolhouse and Harriet Cleverly. Our first year we just worked with Sunshine House Schools and collected an amazing 1, 200 boxes which we stored and checked in our houses and then delivered by hand to Hong Kong recipients.
Realizing we had a potentially successful project we sought corporate funding and rolled it out the following year to around 20 schools. In 2009 we collected nearly 3, 500 boxes. We have grown exponentially each year- we collected 21, 000 boxes this year (in 2014). We work with around 100 schools across Hong Kong and numerous corporates. We deliver to Hong Kong, China, Macau, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines. We have amazing support from companies such as Allen & Overy, HK Land, Deutsche Bank, Wooloomooloo, Meridian Capital and many more.
What is Box of Hope’s mission?
Our mission is two fold, firstly to teach children here at home how rewarding and easy it is to help within their own community and make a difference. We feel the making of the boxes is something that any child can do at any age and feel they have impacted on another persons life in a good way. Whilst the project also brings hope and inspiration to those children less fortunate.
What Box of Hope’s geographical focus?
We focus only on Asia, because we think that it is important for the children donating to feel they can relate to where they are helping and understand that getting involved in their community is important.
What are Box of Hope‘s goals for Hong Kong specifically?
Out goal is to have every school in Hong Kong involved!
How can Hong Kongers get involved with Box of Hope?
Local Hong Kongers can get involved in many ways, donating boxes during our ‘live’ period in November each year, monetary donations year round to help with our running costs, volunteering to help during Box Checking Week in November or hosting Box of Hope parties for friends – where you get together and make your boxes in a fun group environment.
What are some of your favorite charities, other than Box of Hope of course?
Some of our other favorite charities would include Feeding Hong Kong, which does amazing work redistributing food to those in need. We also love Two Presents, an organization which allows your friends to donate money that is then split between a gift for you and a donation to a charity of your choice. There are so many small organizations working tirelessly to help those in need in Hong Kong, it is an honor to be part of them.
Green Queen Giving is a monthly series where we will showcase one of the the amazing NGOs and charities that we are proud to list in our Green Queen Guide to Hong Kong.
All photos courtesy of Box of Hope Hong Kong.
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