It’s less than two months until December and good Samaritans are already coming together to make this Christmas extra special for underprivileged children.
This year, the Somerset Mall has partnered with the Santa Shoebox Project, a heartwarming initiative that has been operating for 17 years.
Since its inception, the Santa Shoebox has touched the lives of an astounding 1 152 587 children by collecting and distributing personalised gifts filled with essential items and treats.
This remarkable milestone speaks volumes about the power of community and compassion, but for 2023 it plans to go even bigger.
The Santa Shoebox Project under the theme of “Share The Love”, now invites donors to double the impact of their generosity with duplicate items in the gift boxes.
Mense are urged to show their support by empowering children to share their gifts with friends or family members.
Donors can collect their empty Santa Shoebox boxes from Somerset Mall’s customer service desk.
From there, mense should create themselves a supporter profile on the Santa Shoebox Project website where they can access a list of children, including their first name, age, gender and clothing size, ensuring a personalised touch to your gift-giving experience.
A toothpaste, a toothbrush, a bar of soap, a washcloth, a clothing item as well as educational supplies and a toy are some of the key items that should be included in the box.
The boxes should also include a reusable shopping bag for the child to carry home, while liquid items, such as cosmetics or blow bubbles must be in a ziplock bag to prevent leakage.
Filled boxes can be returned to Somerset Mall’s customer service desk anytime until Saturday, October 28.
byron.lukas@inl.co.za