Random Acts of Kindness for Moms

It is an unlikely thing to brighten a mom’s day: a shoebox. But a group of Norcross High students filled up 88 boxes with things that homeless women and mothers needed most, then gave them a personal touch of spring-y Mom’s Day decorations—no doubt brightening more than a few days.  

Linda Katz, co-chair of the Random Acts of Kindness Club, said that her 15 students sometimes raise money for a cause, but mostly they like to do things that just make people feel good. “This has really become a signature project for us,” she said.

She said the students tried to design with Mother’s Day in mind. “I think the students like knowing that the boxes are going to moms,” she said.

The Shoebox Project has been sponsored by the United Way for six years, with over 12,000 boxes expected to be distributed this year to 64 different agencies in the metro area that support homeless women and women in need. “So many people have rallied around this idea, it is just amazing,” said David Graves, Director of Media and Marketing for the United Way of Atlanta.

The shoeboxes themselves are stuffed with the things that moms need most: toothbrushes, socks, lotion and toys for the kids.

The personal touch of the decorations is what makes all of the difference though, according to Graves. “The fact that they are decorated makes a huge, huge difference,” he said “We talk to homeless women who were suffering and it was such a wonderful surprise to them.” He’s seen a myriad of themes for the box decorations, from Cinderella to American Idol.

He said that, like the Norcross Random Acts of Kindness Club, many groups hold decorating parties where they get together to craft the boxes. 

Graves said that the personal nature of the boxes gives the women hope when they are going through hard times, which is the whole point of the project.

The final day for collecting the boxes is May 8, and then the massive distribution process begins.