The Santa Shoebox project opens for pledging on September 1.
In 2020, South Africa’s beloved children’s charity reached its millionth child.
Where to after such a momentous milestone you may ask? Well, #beyondthemillion off course!
From September 1, lists of children’s names will be made available via the Santa Shoebox Project website.
Donors create a supporter profile and are granted access to the children’s first name, age, gender and clothing size.
Donors register for a drop-off in their area, which takes place on specific dates in October and November and create shoeboxes for children living in and around their community.
The required contents of a Santa Shoebox have been chosen with the underprivileged child in mind – a toothbrush and toothpaste, a facecloth and cake of soap, a toy, sweets, school supplies and an outfit of clothing.
All items must be new, unused and age-appropriate.
Extra items are most welcome, as long as they all fit into a medium-sized shoebox – the size of an adult running shoe shoebox. Extra items could include for example a reusable shopping bag in which the child can carry their Shoebox home or a cloth mask.
Shoeboxes should be decorated, with the lid wrapped separately to the box, allowing it to be opened without damaging the decorations.
In the interests of volunteer and beneficiary safety, donors are asked to sanitise their hands and wear a mask when packing their shoeboxes, and to do so, a minimum of three days before dropping their shoeboxes off.
Virtual Santa Shoeboxes are offered to donors unable to do their shopping, packing and dropping off.
These are made by teams of volunteers and allocated to children living in remote areas of South Africa. 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 Santa Shoeboxes are trackable via the Santa Shoebox app, which is available from Google Play and the App Store. Track your Shoebox from the moment you pledge to the magical moment the child receives their Santa Shoebox.
Later in the year, towards the end of October, supporters will be invited to volunteer at their local drop-off to receive, check and pack Santa Shoeboxes.
Drop-offs will of course be conducted in keeping in line with prevailing Covid-19 regulations.
For detailed information about how to pledge and how to volunteer, visit the Santa Shoebox Project website at www.santashoebox.org.za
