It’s time for those wanting to volunteer for the Santa Shoebox Project to sign up and start lending a helping hand for the exciting festive project.
South Africa (09 February 2024) – The Santa Shoebox Project reaches further than any of us could imagine, touching the lives of hundreds of thousands of children in Southern Africa every festive season. They rely on a team of volunteers to make sure every step of the process runs smoothly.
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, 1,226,756 children have been gifted Santa Shoeboxes in South Africa and Namibia.
Volunteers help with almost every element involved in pulling off this amazing annual project. The first step in each new year is to encourage people to sign up to be volunteers.
To become a volunteer is easy, you just sign up via the website here. You don’t need to have any special skills to be a volunteer. You can just be an extra set of hands that helps get ready for all the gift boxes that arrive. However, there is a need for volunteers with the below skills:
A variety of skills are required to ensure that every Shoebox the Project receives from its donors, reaches the child for whom it was pledged –
- Administration
- Marketing
- Communication
- Logistics
All you need to have is:
- Access to a computer
- A friendly smile
- Comfy shoes 🙂
What does the timeline of a Santa Shoebox volunteer look like? Simple:
You need only spend a few hours each month, helping the team plan and prepare.
- February and March – create, build or join a team in your area
- April – encourage beneficiaries to apply
- May – assess applicants
- June – support name list process
- July – Confirm drop off venue
- August – sign up team donors
- September – pledging opens
- October – host your Drop Off
- November – hand out the Shoeboxes
- December – relax
So, do you have what it takes to be a Santa Shoebox volunteer? Find out more here.
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