Join the Santa Shoebox Ballito project

The heartwarming Santa Shoebox project has been collecting festive season gifts for children from vulnerable social backgrounds in orphanages, children’s homes and care centres across the country for the past nine years.

In 2014, 109 930 children throughout South Africa and Namibia received boxes through this inspiring goodwill organisation.

The Ballito satellite is now in its third year, providing gifts to children ranging in age from two to 18. Last year, Santa Shoebox Ballito distributed 700 Santa Shoeboxes to needy children in the Ilembe district.

“Our target was 550 boxes but through the generosity of the Ballito community we were able to make 700 little hearts happy last Christmas,” said Santa Shoebox Project Ballito co-ordinators Kirsten Abery and Natalie Smith.

How does it work?

Donors register online and then select a child by name, age and gender as well as their preferred drop off point. Pledging opened on September 1. The target for this year is 700 boxes.

Donors decorate and fill their shoebox according to the guidelines provided on the Santa Shoebox website, and boxes must include eight practical necessities – toothpaste and a toothbrush, facecloth and soap as well as sweets, educational supplies, a toy and a clothing outfit.

This initiative encourages the whole family to become involved and adopt it as a family project providing an opportunity for children to learn from an early age, the gift of giving. Donors are encouraged to involve their own children in the process of personally selecting the name of a child and putting together his or her individualised age appropriate Santa Shoebox gift. Uniquely, this means each participant knows the first name, age and gender of the child.

The box is then dropped off at the donors’ local registered dropoff point on the appointed days and is then distributed by Santa Shoebox volunteers to the respective children in early November.

The Ballito dropoff is October 30 and 31 at Christ Church North Coast, The Work Station, 1 Old Main Road, Umhlali.

For more details on pledging or volunteering at drop-off please visit www.santashoebox.co.za or contact Kirsten Abery on 083 326 3968 or Natalie Smith on 082 372 0500.