South Africans went above and beyond, pledging 75,298 Santa Shoeboxes this year; the children have started opening their gifts and are loving them!
South Africa (06 December 2022) – The Santa Shoebox Project closed off its 17th year with over 75,000 gifts for deserving children. The Project exceeded 1 million Shoeboxes in 2020 and has steadily been growing since the pandemic. There are thousands of children who have received a little extra festive joy this year.
Each box is filled with toothpaste, a toothbrush, a bar of soap and washcloth, an outfit of clothing, educational supplies, a sweet and a toy.
The celebrations have been taking place and all the boxes handed out to children all over South Africa and Namibia.
The Santa Shoebox Project was started in 2006 as a way for people to provide gifts to children who often go without during the festive season. The first roll-out saw just 180 gift boxes distributed to children in need. In 2020, that number crossed the 1 million mark. To date, 1,152,587 children have been gifted Santa Shoeboxes in South Africa and Namibia.
If you contributed to this awesome cause, be sure to follow the Facebook page, as photos of children receiving their boxes are now being shared there. It is always heartwarming to see the excitement and joy on their faces. There have been a few tears, but they were tears of joy! Many of the children get such a surprise when they see just how much effort a stranger put into making them smile.
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