Associates at Honda Canada got into the holiday spirit by collecting items for people in need.

Nearly 100 shoeboxes designed to bring a little cheer to women experiencing homelessness were packed and wrapped this month. The boxes containing donated items such as: socks, mittens and hats; something sweet, toiletries; purse-sized tissues, gift cards and coloring books.

Associates exceeded the goal of 50 boxes for HCI 50th anniversary – almost doubling the number of boxes collected. Honda Canada says this was a first-time event, but it may become an annual event due to its popularity.

Honda elves planned to deliver the shoeboxes on December 13.

The boxes are part of The Shoebox Project for Women, an organization founded in 2011, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. For women who have been displaced from their homes and estranged from their families, special occasions can be particularly challenging. A shoebox gift is a powerful reminder for a woman that she has not been forgotten.