FRIENDS THINK INSIDE THE BOX
SEEING THE PLIGHT OF THE HOMELESS ON THEIR WAY TO WORK HAD A PROFOUND EFFECT ON FRIENDS GALI BLACHER AND MADELYN JONES. SOON AFTER, THEY DECIDED TO HELP – AND THE GOOD BOX WAS BORN
It was the morning commute to work that changed how Gali Blacher and her friend Madelyn Jones lived their lives. The pair, who now live in Townsville and the Sunshine Coast, were working at a media agency in the heart of Sydney.
They couldn’t ignore the plight of those sleeping rough.
“We would see people walk past those sleeping rough, ignoring these people like they weren’t even there,” Gali recalls. “We couldn’t do that, didn’t want to do that.”
The pair would take the time to find out why a person was sleeping rough.
“I realised that homelessness can happen to anyone by stopping and talking to those on the streets.”
The friends also noticed that many people wanted to be able to help those experiencing homelessness, but didn’t know how.
“People believed giving money directly to the homeless person didn’t seem like the right thing to do as they were not sure where the money would go,” Gali explains.
“We also realised that some people didn’t want to help at all because they had preconceived ideas and stigmas about why people experience homelessness. Therefore, people were ignoring those living on the streets, which was increasing the amount of isolation they faced everyday.”
The women decided to take action. Although they acknowledged they were not going to solve homelessness, they wanted to make a difference to the lives of those who were homeless.
The pair came up with an idea to provide those experiencing homelessness with a beautiful gift along with a conversation to brighten up their day.
“We would meet after work every Tuesday and just come up with some ideas and thoughts.
“We then cold called and contacted some people in the industry and they were very happy to give us some mentorship.
“We then put some of our own money together and with the help of great mentors, we were able to showcase our idea.
“We presented it to a panel of five people in front of a live audience of 500 people and came second in a pitch competition called Jumpstart Pitch Night and won $15,000.
“We used that money to get The Good Box off the ground.”
I t took about one year before Gali and Madelyn’s idea came to fruition with the first Good Box handed out.
Fast forward three years since the idea was conceived and The Good Box helps thousands of Australians experiencing homelessness to receive beautiful boxes with first hand quality items.
The Good Box creates packaged gift boxes for people experiencing homelessness in Australia.
The boxes are full of the essentials such as roll-on deodorant, baby wipes, face towels, tampons, canned food such as tuna and baked beans with a biodegradable fork.
Instead of relying on donations, The Good Box is a nationwide social enterprise that relies on sales of the boxes to keep doing good. There are four different boxes available to buy online at www.thegoodbox.com.au – a Blokes Box, Gals Box, Goodie Box, and a Winter Box.
In the future a Beauty Box, Kids Box and a Pets Box will be available. They only cost $21.99 and you can either buy a box to give to a homeless person yourself or write a personal note and let The Good Box’s distributing partners, including Orange Sky Australia, Yumba-Meta, and F.E.A.T, hand it out.
“Homelessness is multifaceted and is not confined to those sleeping rough, so we knew that we also needed to establish relationships with homeless charities to provide boxes to those that aren’t as easily reached,” Madelyn says. “But The Good Box is more than just about handing out gifts, it’s about facilitating positive conversations and helping to restore the dignity to those who are doing it tough.”
Gali believes most people want an easy and meaningful way of giving.
“When they head to The Good Box website to buy a box for someone in need, the recipients of the boxes feel like they are getting a warm hug in a box and love the personal notes inside the boxes, it makes them feel like they matter,” she explains.
“I believe all human beings deserve an equal chance, and that if we all work together, a big difference can be made.”
Before launching The Good Box three years ago, Gali and Madelyn wanted to ensure it would be an initiative that would enhance the lives of people living rough or people who were experiencing homelessness.
The pair ploughed in countless hours into researching what was needed.
They set up meetings with people experiencing homelessness to discuss what they could do to make a difference.
“We spoke to many different people experiencing homelessness,” Madelyn explains.
“We met an amazing man called Damo who was homeless at that time and he is our
main consultant for helping us discover what they need/want. He is housed now and works with us as a lived experience speaker for our corporate/school programs.
“Damo often tells us that The Good Box is a vehicle to communication and that it’s like a warm hug in a box.
“It’s not just about the items but it’s about what the box represents: dignity and communication.
“Each box has a special note inside and we often hear back how important those notes are to make people feel wanted, loved and accepted, this is so important as the homeless community is so isolated.”
The pair say they are grateful for what they learnt from engaging with the homeless community.
“We learnt that often people don’t engage with the homeless community before deciding what to give them,” Madelyn says.
“People often just say ‘oh let’s give them this or that’ but that’s not based on much.
“We discovered that the homeless community doesn’t get consulted with enough so we make sure to do that. It’s very important they are part of the solution.”
Setting up a social enterprise hasn’t come without its challenges.
“The biggest challenge is that not everyone knows what that is,” Gali explains.
“It’s pretty simple though.
“We are an organisation that operates for the same purpose as a charity.
“Meaning, our purpose is to help those who are vulnerable and to make a positive impact.
“However, we don’t rely on donations rather we rely on goods and services being sold which then goes back into helping us make a difference to the lives of people experiencing homelessness.
“We do find that it’s getting a lot easier as the Queensland government is investing a lot into social enterprises.”
HOW IT WORKS
By heading to www.thegoodbox.com.au you can donate a box for $21.99 and it will be sent directly to someone experiencing homelessness in Australia.
The Good Box distributes to more than 30-plus charity partners nationally including Orange Sky Australia, MCC Carenet, Bethany, Jewish House, Vinnies, Anglicare and more.