Can you please send me information about the Santa Shoebox Project?
All information is available on the website. ABOUT will give you an idea of “who we are”. Watching the VIDEO in our GALLERY will give you a deeper understanding of the organisation. Under IN THE MEDIA, the media release gives an excellent summary of “what we do”, and how you can become involved by BECOMING A SUPPORTER.
My company/organisation would like to participate as part of our CSI initiative.
Such a wonderful idea! Please ask each colleague to register as a donor and make his/her own pledge. Alternatively, you can designate one representative to govern the bulk pledge on behalf of their colleagues participating in this initiative. This person will be required to register as a donor, using a single email address for this purpose, and use his/her own name or the company name under the “name” field on this record. A minimum of 30 children’s names can be selected at a time. To pledge more names than this, simply repeat the pledging process until you have the total number of pledges required. The pledge confirmation details will be sent via email, including a link to download the labels. Please download the Handy downloads on our HOW TO PACK A SHOEBOX page, and forward it to your colleagues too. Encourage each participant to register as a donor, so that we have them on record and keep them updated on what’s happening in the project. We suggest you copy the list of children’s details contained in the body of each pledge confirmation email we send you, and paste it into a table, to facilitate governing the whole process, listing to which person each shoebox is assigned to, label sent, box received, box checked for content. You and your colleagues can deliver then the boxes to the Drop Off venue on the specified dates.
Where and when do I drop my box off?
When you REGISTER AS A SUPPORTER, you will be asked to identify your most convenient drop-off point, this is where your Santa Shoebox must be delivered. Please ensure that you select a point that is convenient and that you can get to the drop-off point on the allocated dates. Click FAQ’S - FIND MY LOCAL DROP OFF for details of the drop-off venues and dates.
Will there be an alternative drop off date and venue?
Unfortunately not. At the Drop Off, Santa Shoeboxes are checked, packed into large cartons according to facility and celebration date, collected, stored, distributed and then handed out. There is no way for your late box to catch up with this process. Any box not delivered within the stipulated Drop Off time, will be considered as a “no show”. Click FAQ’S - FIND MY LOCAL DROP OFF for details of the drop-off venues and dates.
What happens if I miss my drop off date? Forget to make my box?
This is the most serious “blunder” in the Santa Shoebox world. Imagine a group of children receiving their gifts and one – the child allocated to YOU – is without a gift? Can you imagine the disappointment and heartbreak? PLEASE check FAQ’S - FIND MY LOCAL DROP OFF before you start requesting names, pledging and making a commitment to a child. If you have pledged a box and can no longer fulfill the commitment, please CONTACT US at [email protected] immediately.
Why can I no longer select children from a specific facility?
The Children’s Act 38 of 2005 (as amended by the Children’s Amendment Act 41 of 2007) and the associated Regulations came into force on 1 April 2010 to respect, promote, protect and fulfill children’s constitutional rights. The Santa Shoebox Project will do its utmost to uphold the rights of the children it represents, to ensure that active steps are taken to prevent third parties from interfering with and violating the children’s rights. To protect the identity of the recipient children in our project, we can no longer display a list of children’s names in direct association with the name of a facility, in a public domain such as our website. This ensures that no member of the public will gain access to a named child through our website. We are aware that many of our donors continue to support the same facilities year after year, and we realise the necessary change to the pledging process may create some disappointment. We also know that you will support any policy that keeps our kids safe from potential harm.
To what value should my box contents be?
The monetary value of the box depends on the age of the child and where the shopping is done! As long as the box contains ALL the 8 required items (clothing, educational supplies, face cloth, soap, sweets, toothbrush, toothpaste and a toy), it can cost anything from R250 upwards.
Must the Santa Shoebox contain ALL the required items?
Yes, all the 8 required items (clothing, educational supplies, face cloth, soap, sweets, toothbrush, toothpaste and a toy) must be included. Please refer to FAQ’S - HOW TO PACK A SHOEBOX for the box contents. When the Shoeboxes are handed out to a group and the children open their gifts, it would be heartbreaking to see little eyes looking at everyone else’s filled boxes and he/she only received a packet of sweets in theirs. We try and standardize the gifts as far as possible to be fair to everyone. Extra bits and bobs over and above the required items are welcome, as long as all the items fit into a medium sized box.
I would like to pack chocolate and blow bubbles in my box?
Please refer to FAQ’S - HOW TO PACK A SHOEBOX and make sure to know exactly what not to pack. Blow bubbles and all other liquids often leak or glass containers break causing spillage and spoiling of items, so please remember to put all liquid items in a sealed plastic bag. The boxes are stored before they are delivered – temperatures can be high and chocolate will melt and spoil the rest of the contents of the box.
What size shoebox can I use?
A medium size box, 20x34x11cm, is recommended – this is the size box of an adult running shoe. Any box larger than this impacts on the packing capacity of the cartons we use to store and deliver the gift boxes. These cartons have to be bought, so the bigger the gift boxes, the more cartons are needed, and the more expensive the process becomes to the Santa Shoebox Project. Any boxes too large (eg boot boxes) might have to be repacked into smaller boxes at the drop off venue. Any box much smaller than this, well, you’d have to be a magician to pack all the required items into a space that small! Flip-top boxes are quite acceptable. Paper ream boxes may be used, provided the sides have been cut down to a maximum of 15cm in height. Decorative gift boxes bought at retail stores are sometimes square in shape, and deeper. These too are acceptable, provided they are of a medium size. The same applies to plastic containers.
Why can I not wrap my box like a gift?
We request that boxes and their lids be covered and decorated separately, rather than ‘wrapped’, so that the Shoebox can be opened and closed easily, without ruining the wrapping. Children keep the Shoeboxes as a Keepsake Box as they often do not have anything of their own in which to keep their little belongings. If they rip off the wrapping paper, the box underneath is unattractive, there is a huge amount of littering with the ripped off wrapping paper, and if the label has been ripped off with the paper, the gift boxes might get mixed up. Also, the boxes need to be unsealed and easily re-sealable, to facilitate the checking process that takes place at the Drop Off venues.
Why are boxes checked at the Drop Off venues?
Each and every box that Santa Shoebox receives, on behalf of our recipient children, needs to be checked. Our trained volunteers at each drop off venue do a swift routine check of each box to check for standardisation and compliance. This is done for the sake of the child receiving the Shoebox. Under no circumstances are any items removed from boxes, unless they are undesirable of nature; read more about this under FAQ’S - HOW TO PACK A SHOEBOX. Any “required” items that have been omitted from the box, need to be included, so that the each child receiving the box doesn’t feel less fortunate. We rely on the generous donations of items and funds from the public, and our sponsors, to purchase these items. It is NOT acceptable to omit items from the required list.
What is an extra box and what are they used for?
An extra box is a “no-name” Shoebox where the donor chooses the age and gender of the child. These Shoeboxes play a very important role in the success of our project by making up for “no show” boxes, and for ensuring that there are Shoeboxes for the new children who have joined the Facility from the time the name list was handed in, earlier in the year. The content requirements of the Extra Shoeboxes are exactly the same as for the named children.
Can I make a financial donation?
Yes please! All Santa Shoebox Project’s Operating Expenses are covered by Corporate Donations. This enables the Santa Shoebox Project to allocate sufficient private donations received to making up pledged Shoeboxes which donors have failed to drop off – ensuring that every single recipient child on the name-list receives a Santa Shoebox. The remaining private donations are used for the SSB Legacy, to train recipient Facility Caregivers in community-centric skills, such as, for example, Paediatric First Aid, Self Defence and Permaculture. Please click on the FINANCIAL DONATION tab on our Website.
How do I become a volunteer?
Whether you have a few hours per month or are available full time, your time, effort and expertise are always very needed and welcome. Please contact us through BECOME A SUPPORTER - VOLUNTEER MY TIME on our Website.
What is the difference between a volunteer and a coordinator?
The Coordinator manages the project in his/her area, which includes identifying and nominating recipient Facilities, guiding the team, assisting with name lists, managing the drop off venue for National Drop Off Week held during the last week of October, and being involved with the Santa Shoebox Celebrations at the end of the year. A volunteer will assist the coordinator at any stage of the project throughout the year, or will be a volunteer at Drop Off time.
My organisation would like to apply to receive Santa Shoeboxes.
The application process for 2015 is open from 4 March to 23 April. Please REGISTER or Login as a Facility on our Website during this period.
How does the Santa Shoebox Project fit in with Kidz2Kidz?
The Santa Shoebox Project is an initiative of Kidz2Kidz Trust (IT2671/2009), a South African registered Public Benefit (PBO number 930031301) and Non Profit Organization (NPO 102-098) with Section 18A status that offers assistance to children in need with current emphasis on Southern Africa. For more information visit www.kidz2kidz.co.za or click on the ABOUT – KIDZ2KIDZ on our Website.
