Hundreds of SA orphanages get ‘the nice one’
By Thandisizwe Mgudlwa
At least 900 local orphanages will receive 100 000 Santa Shoe Box gifts for the festive period of 2012.
The Santa Shoebox Project, with its vision of people connecting through the ‘Joy of Giving’, once again reached its goal this year, collecting just under 100 000 (99 470) gifts for children at over 900 orphanages, crèches and care centres across the country – thanks to the support of thousands of individuals, schools and members of the business sector.
And the emphasis this year was on extending the Santa Shoebox support network to small towns and farming communities in the country.
According to National Coordinator Irene Pieters, 70% of the new facilities added to the distribution network this year, are based in the outlying areas of cities and towns across South Africa.
Some of the major sponsors this year included the likes of Laser Logistics, PEP, Aspire Solutions, Bulk SMS, Fairheads Trust, Mpact, and KingJames to name a few, as well as Fivestar PR, the agency that provides Public Relations services for the project on a pro bono basis.
“The 2012 project will end off on a high note at the end of November, when the final Santa Shoebox Celebrations take place at homes and care centres in each of the nine provinces, making thousands of little hearts beat faster with joy.
Now Pieters and her team are looking ahead to 2013, and will be focusing on expanding their support to include even more centres and schools in the rural areas, where many children have never before received a gift at Christmas time.
Pieters adds, “We are blessed to be supported by so many thousands of people, who made this years target possible. Recognition and heartfelt thanks is also due to the dedicated volunteer co-ordinators in each area, who work alongside us to make the project a success each year. We simply couldn’t do it without them”.
Also, with ‘share the joy of giving’ as the essence of the project, the Santa Shoebox Project offers people from all walks of life the chance to participate in a profoundly valuable and personal experience, enriching the lives of those doing the giving and those on the receiving end.
“Donors are encouraged to involve their own children in the process of personally selecting a child from one of the centres or homes, and putting together his or her individualized, age appropriate Santa Shoebox gift. Uniquely, this means each participant knows the first name, age, gender and care institution of the child, and it is this personal touch that endears the project to adults and children from all walks of life.
To Register online as a donor now to receive newsletters and 2013 notifications: www.santashoebox.org.za
By Thandisizwe Mgudlwa
At least 900 local orphanages will receive 100 000 Santa Shoe Box gifts for the festive period of 2012.
The Santa Shoebox Project, with its vision of people connecting through the ‘Joy of Giving’, once again reached its goal this year, collecting just under 100 000 (99 470) gifts for children at over 900 orphanages, crèches and care centres across the country – thanks to the support of thousands of individuals, schools and members of the business sector.
And the emphasis this year was on extending the Santa Shoebox support network to small towns and farming communities in the country.
According to National Coordinator Irene Pieters, 70% of the new facilities added to the distribution network this year, are based in the outlying areas of cities and towns across South Africa.
Some of the major sponsors this year included the likes of Laser Logistics, PEP, Aspire Solutions, Bulk SMS, Fairheads Trust, Mpact, and KingJames to name a few, as well as Fivestar PR, the agency that provides Public Relations services for the project on a pro bono basis.
“The 2012 project will end off on a high note at the end of November, when the final Santa Shoebox Celebrations take place at homes and care centres in each of the nine provinces, making thousands of little hearts beat faster with joy.
Now Pieters and her team are looking ahead to 2013, and will be focusing on expanding their support to include even more centres and schools in the rural areas, where many children have never before received a gift at Christmas time.
Pieters adds, “We are blessed to be supported by so many thousands of people, who made this years target possible. Recognition and heartfelt thanks is also due to the dedicated volunteer co-ordinators in each area, who work alongside us to make the project a success each year. We simply couldn’t do it without them”.
Also, with ‘share the joy of giving’ as the essence of the project, the Santa Shoebox Project offers people from all walks of life the chance to participate in a profoundly valuable and personal experience, enriching the lives of those doing the giving and those on the receiving end.
“Donors are encouraged to involve their own children in the process of personally selecting a child from one of the centres or homes, and putting together his or her individualized, age appropriate Santa Shoebox gift. Uniquely, this means each participant knows the first name, age, gender and care institution of the child, and it is this personal touch that endears the project to adults and children from all walks of life.
To Register online as a donor now to receive newsletters and 2013 notifications: www.santashoebox.org.za
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