Over 350 gift bags will be donated by the Sheffield Shoebox Appeal to tens of charities in Sheffield in time for Mother’s Day.
The group provides vulnerable women in temporary accommodation with luxury-style gifts they may not be able to afford themselves.
The organisation’s Christmas appeal launched in 2013, but their Mother’s Day scheme began around 2020.
The presents contain toiletry gift sets, fluffy socks and confectionery amongst other items, many of which are reused from leftover Christmas stock from the previous year.
Bags with Mother’s Day branded gifts are separated from other gifts, to ensure that women who are no longer with their children or see them very infrequently also get to celebrate the day.
One charity that collects Sheffield Shoebox Appeal’s gifts is Women’s Aid who supported 102 women and 84 children last year.
Christine Sexton, Coordinator for the Sheffield Shoebox Appeal said: “When we spoke to the women who ran the refuges, she said the kids who are in there don’t get a chance to give their mum anything.
“I remember when my kids were little, they used to love making me cards at school and making me Mother’s Day presents.
“They are as much for the children as they are for the mothers.”
She also mentioned a story where she herself visited a refuge, and was brought to tears when a mother was surprised to hear that the gifts were for them.
The mother said: “It’s about letting them know that people care about them, and that they haven’t been forgotten.
“The only things I get are things that people donate and people are so generous, really generous, you’d be amazed.”
Other gifts are supplied and collated by friends and family of the organisers, as well as via their amazon wishlist.
Donations points are open until Saturday 28 February and are located across Sheffield.
They include, but are not limited to: The Shepley Spitfire (S17), The Milestone (S20), The Banner Cross (S11) and St. James Church (S8).
Sheffield Shoebox Appeal are looking for volunteers to help with packaging the gift bags.