Over the years, South African Non-Profit Organization, Santa Shoebox Project has been putting smiles on little faces, this year they aim to reach their millionth child. The organization presents thousands of personalized Christmas gifts in shoeboxes to underprivileged kids every year.
āThis year we will be celebrating that weāve made one million Christmas brighter for underprivileged children in South Africa. We hope donors will help us achieve this momentous milestone by getting involved and pledging many more Shoeboxes this year,ā said Santa Shoebox CEO Deborah Zelezniak.
The project will ask donors to take part in helping to fill these boxes from September 1. Donors will be able to register for the Drop Off in their area on specific dates in October and November, allowing them to make up Shoeboxes for children living in and around their community.
For those who are unable to do their own shopping, packing and dropping, the option of donating through virtual Santa Shoeboxes is available for use. These boxes are made by teams of volunteers and allocated to children living in remote areas of South Africa.
Childrenās names will be made available on the Santa Shoebox Project website at www.santashoebox.org.za from the beginning of September, where donors can open a profile to gain access to the childrenās first name, age, gender and clothing size in order to create a personalized gift for the selected child or children.
The shoebox must contain a toothbrush and toothpaste; a facecloth and cake of soap; school supplies; an item of clothing; sweets and a toy. Items must be new, unused and age-appropriate, and additional items are welcome too, as long as they all fit into a medium-sized shoebox the size of an adult running shoe box. The project also asks donors to include a reusable shopping bag so the child can carry their Shoebox home.
Donors are also asked to festively decorate their boxes with the lid wrapped separately to the box, so the child can open it without damaging the decorations. In the event of Covid-19, donors are also asked to sanitize their hands and wear a mask when packing their Shoeboxes at least three days before dropping their boxes off.
Towards the end of October, supporters will be invited to volunteer at their nearest drop-off, to be conducted in line with Covid-19 regulations. For more information on how to pledge and volunteer, visit the Santa Shoebox Project website at https://santashoebox.org.za/
