OUDTSHOORN NEWS - Pledging for the national Santa Shoebox Project started on 1 September and this year's theme is "Let's Make Magic".

The project's national sponsorship and regional manager for Gauteng, Free State, North West, Port Elizabeth and East London, Margie Kostelac, said the interest so far has been overwhelming.

Each year the project invites organisations which deal with or care for underprivileged children, orphanages, schools or children's homes to apply to be beneficiaries of the project.

The project received 2 430 applications this year. All of these applications are vetted by Santa Shoebox Project coordinators before they are approved.

"When pledging opened on 1 September we published the list of children's names per area," Margie explained. "Supporters can then go to our website, santashoebox.org.za and select the recipient of their shoebox by name, age and gender. As many recipients as you like can be selected."

Margie reiterated that the children's privacy and rights are upheld throughout the process.

The website provides a full list of items to be included in a shoebox. It is a guideline to what children need, as opposed to what they want.

Santa Shoebox Project recommends a special toy or gift in the box too, but this is a bonus for the children as the aim is to give them items they need.

Items include a toothbrush, toothpaste, facecloth, soap, age-appropriate stationery items, an outfit of clothing, an age-appropriate toy and sweets.

Supporters outside South Africa who are not able to physically make up a shoebox and get it to a drop-off point can buy a virtual shoebox at a cost of R450 and the project creates one for them. The virtual shoeboxes are specifically distributed in rural areas where the donor capacity is low.

Steps to participate are

• Visit santashoebox.org.za;
• Register as a supporter;
• Pick a convenient drop-off point that you can reach on the specified date;
• Pledge a shoebox by selecting one or more recipients by name, age and gender;
• Print your QR-coded shoebox labels;
• Decorate or fill your shoebox according to the guidelines found on the website or Facebook page;
• Drop your shoebox at your selected drop-off point on the designated date.

For more information about the Santa Shoebox Project, contact Margie at margie@santashoebox.org.za

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