A little girl wears some of the contents of her Santa Shoebox.
The Santa Shoebox Project has reached its millionth child milestone. Pledging opened on Wednesday September 1, and this year the charity aims to go #beyondthemillion.
Lists of children’s names for pledging are available on the Santa Shoebox Project website. Donors create a supporter profile, and are given the first name, age, gender and clothing size for children living in and around their own community.
Donors create shoeboxes for the children which are then taken to registered drop-offs in their area during October and November.
Shoebox contents are chosen with the child in mind and must contain a toothbrush, toothpaste, a facecloth, soap, a toy, sweets, school supplies and an outfit of clothing. All items must be new, unused and age-appropriate. Extra items are welcome, as long as they fit into a medium-sized shoebox - the size of an adult running-shoe box. Extra items could include a reusable shopping bag, in which the child can carry their shoebox home, or a cloth mask.
Shoeboxes should be cheerfully decorated, with the lid wrapped separately to the box, allowing it to be opened without damaging the decorations. Tips for packing and decorating a shoebox are available on the charity’s website.
Donors are asked to sanitise their hands and wear a mask when packing the shoeboxes and to do so at least three days before dropping the boxes off.
Virtual Santa Shoeboxes are also available. These are made by volunteers and allocated to children living in remote areas. Due to the lack of donors in rural areas, these children would otherwise not receive a Santa Shoebox, and quite possibly no end-of-year gift at all.
All shoeboxes are trackable through the Santa Shoebox App. You can track your gift from the moment you pledge to the moment the child receives their shoebox.
Supporters can also volunteer at their local drop-offs in October where they will receive, check and pack shoeboxes while observing Covid19 regulations.
For more information about how to pledge or volunteer email info@santashoebox.org.za or visit www.santashoebox.org.za