Upper Canada Mall Gorgeous Shoebox Project Event

There’s a lot in our lives that we take for-granted. Have you ever bought a new lipstick, blush, or hair product as a pick-me-up? I have, and I’m sure you have, too. I’m going to guess that if you’re reading this post, you can afford basic beauty products that make you look and feel beautiful, confident…and in some cases, like yourself. It’s easy to forget that not every woman has these luxuries. Needless to say, when my mom and I were invited to attend Upper Canada Mall’s Gorgeous Shoebox Project Event to support women in need, I jumped at the opportunity.

As a part of their Month For Mom campaign, Upper Canada Mall coordinated an event that benefitted The Shoebox Project.  In case you’ve never heard of them before, The Shoebox Project for Shelters is a charitable organization that was founded in 2011 by Jessica Mulroney and her three sister-in-laws. They got the idea from Jessica’s mother, who began the tradition of donating to shelters in Montreal. The Shoebox Project collects and distributes gifts in the form of shoeboxes to women who are homeless or at-risk of homelessness in communities across Canada and the United States. Each of these shoeboxes is filled with cosmetics and drugstore items valued at around $50, that any woman will enjoy, but may not be able to splurge on for herself during difficult times.

For this event, teams of women worked together to decorate shoeboxes and fill them with key personal items and a handwritten, personalized note of inspiration. I was completely floored by the generosity of the retailers who donated to the cause. Soft Moc offered up dozens of shoeboxes to fill up with goodies. Hudson’s Bay, Lush, Sephora, Shoppers Drugmart, Caryl Baker Visage, Bath and Body Works, Body Shop and L’Occitane all donated personal items and cosmetics. Since no gift is complete without something sweet, Purdy’s was kind enough to donate adorable boxes of chocolate.

Jessica attended the event, since she’s not only one of the founders of the Shoebox Project, but also UCM’s Spring/Summer Campaign model and icon (more on the campaign here). Jessica is an inspiring example of a woman who does it all. She’s a wife and mother to 3 young kids and has a booming, multi-faceted career in fashion, including working as a style consultant for Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau (Justin Trudeau’s wife). I had the pleasure of spending a few minutes chatting with her, and she radiates positivity.

A big ‘thank you’ to Upper Canada Mall for inviting me (and my mom) to participate in such an incredible event!