Brisbane-based Madelyn Jones and Gali Blacher are co-founders of social enterprise and charity The Good Box. It’s been providing homeless people around Australia with a box of essential items, treats and a little bit of love since 2019.
Each box has a design telling the story of a person who has experienced homelessness and, in addition to useful items, also contains a handwritten message. The note is written by the sender and reminds the recipient that someone cares about them.
More than 17,000 people received Good Boxes in 2022 alone.
Madelyn and Gali also run engagement programs at schools and businesses to debunk myths about homelessness. They employ people who have experienced homelessness to help lead these sessions, where participants pack Good Boxes while they learn about homelessness and what they can do to help.