Every year, the Santa Shoebox Project collects and distributes personalised gifts of essential items and treats to underprivileged children throughout South Africa and Namibia.
In 17 years, your contributions have reached one million, one hundred and fifty-two thousand, five hundred and eighty (1 152 587) children.
This year, the Santa Shoebox’s theme is #ShareTheLove and gives donors the option to insert a duplicate item in their box.
Why? To empower the recipient child to gift the duplicate item to a friend or family member, teaching them the joy of giving – the mantra of the much-loved project.
There are still approximately 3 500 children in need, so pledge a box and make a child’s festive season that much more special.
Step 1: Collect a box or five
Santa Shoeboxes can be collected from Somerset Mall’s customer service desks, located in the Edgars and Game Courts, until Saturday, 30 September.
Your first five boxes are free; thereafter, each box costs R10, with all proceeds going to the Santa Shoebox Project.
Step 2: Packing your Santa Shoebox
Each Santa Shoebox should contain the following items:
- Toothbrush and a big tube of toothpaste
- Facecloth and a big fragrant soap (if you choose a liquid soap, please seal it in a ziplock bag)
- School supplies for the next school year
- Toys (please include batteries if required)
- Sweets (please seal chocolate in a ziplock bag)
- A new and age-appropriate outfit of clothing (consider including underwear)
When decorating your box, consider using paint or stickers rather than paper, for the sake of the environment. For an added touch, why not include a personal note from you to the recipient child?
Label your box by printing and pasting the Santa Shoebox label on the outside of the lid, in the top right-hand corner. Add sticky tape to ensure the label remains in place and secure the lid to the box with an elastic band.
Don’t forget to download and attach a #ShareTheLove sticker to the duplicate item, identifying it as a gift for the recipient child to bestow on an important person in their lives.
Step 3: Drop and go
Once you’ve packed and decorated your Santa Shoebox, and marked your duplicated item, you can drop off completed boxes at the customer service desk from 1 to 28 October.
‘An underprivileged child has the same potential, the same value and the same full, layered life that a child of privilege does, they simply aren’t given the same opportunities’ – that’s where we step in.
For more information, click here.
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Picture: Supplied