CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

THE SANTA SHOEBOX PROJECT

The Santa Shoebox Project collects Christmas gifts for the socially disadvantaged throughout South Africa, by way of a social and community network of families, friends, schools and churches. As a non-profit organisation it is instrumental in involving people from all walks of life, especially children together with their parents, in giving to children from a distinctly vulnerable social background who may never have received a Christmas gift before.

In essence it is therefore also about children learning the art of giving, by personally choosing and filling the gift boxes, and then decorating and labelling each with the recipient’s name.

Uniquely, the donor knows the name, age, gender and residence of the child the gift was bought for. The Santa Shoebox Project not only manages the network and distributes the gifts, but also provides content guidelines for each individual gift box, to ensure that every child receives an age appropriate gift. Typically this will comprise of some practical necessities, such as toothpaste and toothbrush, face cloth and soap, as well as some sweets, an educational toy and an item of clothing.

Many people have a desire to contribute to their community or do their ‘little bit for charity’, but often don’t know where to start. The Santa Shoebox Project takes pride in channeling all that positive energy and goodwill into something that is credible, achievable, makes a real difference in a specific child’s life and leaves the donor feeling really good about him or herself.

Spearheaded by Kidz2Kidz founder Dee Boehner in 2006 and coordinated by Irenè Pieters since 2007, the project has grown in leaps and bounds. It started in Cape Town (2006) with 180 Santa Shoeboxes. The project grew to 2000 Santa Shoeboxes in 2007, and in 2008 overshot the target of 5000 – closing on 9000 boxes. These were distributed to 60 children’s homes, crèches and educare centres in Cape Town and surrounds, the Winelands, Somerset West area, Montagu, Prince Albert and Johannesburg. Managed by national project co-ordinator Irenè Pieters, today the Santa Shoebox Project is in operation right across South Africa. Negotiations for ventures also into neighbouring African countries are well under way.

Email the Santa Shoebox Project at pieters@intekom.co.za
Media Enquiries: info@fivestarpr.co.za
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