GRAAFF-REINET NEWS — The Santa Shoebox Project originated in Cape Town in 2006 with a mere 180 shoeboxes.

In 10 years it has grown in leaps and bounds, with the number of Santa Shoeboxes donated reaching a total of 652 180. The shoeboxes are distributed to more than 1000 recipient facilities, through more than 60 satellites around South Africa and Namibia.

This hugely successful project gives donors the chance to prepare a gift box of a personal nature for a child whose name and age is known.

Donors are asked to fill a shoebox with a specified selection of personal hygiene items (a toothbrush, toothpaste, wash cloth and soap) together with educational stationery supplies. Added to this is an outfit of clothing, a toy and sweets, appropriate to the child’s age.

For some of the recipients, this will be the first time that they have received new items of clothing chosen specifically for them.

This year, 161 children have been identified in foster homes and facilities in Graaff-Reinet, Aberdeen and Pearston.

Registration for donors opens on September 1 and is done online on www.santashoebox.org.

More details for the date and place for dropping off the completed boxes in Graaff-Reinet will be available at a later stage.

Help will also be available for those who would like to become involved but do not have internet access to register online.

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