With only three months left of the year, the countdown to Christmas has begun. South Africans are therefore encouraged to get into the festive season spirit early by not only donating a personalised present containing essential items and treats to underprivileged children, but by also empowering them with the opportunity to give a gift too.
Pledges for the Santa Shoebox Project open today (Thursday 1 September). Under this year’s theme of “Share the Love”, donors will have the option to duplicate an item in their box, enabling the beneficiary child to gift that item to a friend or family member. “Enabling these children to experience the joy of giving for themselves, enhances other benefits such as personal growth and increased self-esteem,” explained Deb Zelezniak, Santa Shoebox Programmes chief executive officer.
Typically, Santa Shoeboxes contain a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, a face cloth, school supplies, a toy, sweets and a clothing outfit. This year, in addition to the duplicate item provided by the public, Book Dash, which creates African storybooks that anyone can freely download and distribute, will be including two books – one for the recipient and the other for them to gift to someone else.
“This amplifies the sharing, because a book is meant to be read together, either with a friend or by a parent or teacher,” Zelezniak said. “Since 2006, our beloved project has reached 1 077 289 children throughout South Africa and Namibia, thanks to the generosity of its donors. In 2022, we will be positively impacting the lives of many more, and we so appreciate your help in doing so.”
. To share the love or for more information, visit https://santashoebox.org.za.
