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Christmas Shoeboxes

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ON THIS PAGE: Small gifts BIG difference!  /  Shoebox Collection Points  /  How to put together your shoebox /  Ideas for filling your shoebox  /  What not to put in  /  How can I get involved?   /  Sponsor A Shoebox  /  Where will my shoebox go?  /  Shoebox Checking  /  Volunteers needed  /  Downloads and Labels  /  Other points  /  Report of Shoebox distribution in Sri Lanka by Pam Beech
 

Small gifts – BIG difference!

A shoebox full of gifts means such a lot to the children and families – not only the presents inside but the love that leaps out of the box, maybe unspoken but nonetheless heard.

In many instances this will be the only present the child has ever been given and they are greatly treasured, even the box and wrappers.

Every contribution makes for another happy child.
 

SHOEBOX TOTAL FOR 2009: JUST UNDER 12,000
 

We now have all the 2009 Season shoeboxes sorted and packed, and no longer need volunteers for this task.

We like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who has so kindly given their time and efforts to help us process the shoeboxes, as well as those who have donated all the gifts. Your generosity has made a big difference, not only to the children but also to their families who are just as delighted as we are to see the children's faces light up when they receive their gifts.

Along with the gifts comes the encouragement that someone in another country cares about them, and the memory of that kindness will stay with all those concerned for a long time to come.

SHOEBOX COLLECTION POINTS
The Shoebox Collection Point list is on our Contacts page, and will be updated regularly as new locations are added.

 

Smile Shoebox Leaflet June 2009

Download Shoebox Leaflet PDF (978 KB) – includes shoebox form

HOW TO PUT TOGETHER YOUR SHOEBOX

  • Wrap a medium size adult shoebox with colourful wrapping paper (please don't use wrapping paper with soldiers, pirates or scary characters). WRAP THE LID SEPARATELY.

  • Decide whether you would like to send your box to a boy or a girl and their age e.g. Age 10 – please be as age specific as possible.

  • Fill your box with NEW items. Please do not wrap items individually.

  • If you would like to add a donation, please put it in an envelope with your completed donation form ON TOP OF THE GIFTS in your box.

  • Replace the lid and stick the label on. Wrap 2 strong elastic bands around your box.

  • Give your box to your shoebox coordinator by EARLY NOVEMBER.

The consignment of shoeboxes should be accompanied by a completed Shoebox Donor Delivery Form PDF (21 KB).

 shoebox and lid covered separately


SOME RATHER FABULOUS IDEAS FOR YOUR SHOEBOX

  • ALL ITEMS MUST BE NEW

    • . Please include items from each category.

  • Toiletries – Toothbrush, toothpaste, flannel, sponge, wrapped bar of soap

  • Hair care – Comb, brush, hair accessories

  • Writing materials – Notebook, colouring boos, felt tip pens, crayons, pens, pencils, ruler, pencil sharpener, pencil case, rubber

  • Clothing – Hat, scarf, gloves, socks, pants, knickers

  • Small toys – Doll, car, skipping rope, ball, small musical instrument, soft toy, puzzle, game, child's jewellery

  • Sweets – Sell-by date to be at least June of following year. No chocolate.

WHAT NOT TO PUT IN

  • Food – Any other food items. We cannot send chocolate.

  • Clothing – Shoes or items other than those above

  • Liquids – Shampoo, conditioner, bubble bath, aerosols or blow bubbles

  • Breakables – Glass and ceramics

  • Scary toys – Guns, knives, military or monster-type toys

  • Make-up – including nail varnish

  • Earrings – For pierced ears

  • Medicines – Please don't include medicines of any kind

  • Used items – Second-hand clothing or used toys

  • Sharp objects – Razors and scissors

  • Battery operated items

HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?

  • Volunteer to check and sort boxes, either in your area or at the Smile office in Kent.

  • Make up a shoebox of your own or encourage others in your church or organisation to make up boxes.

  • Become a Shoebox Coordinator in your area.

  • Collect or knit items to help us fill out spaces – hats, gloves, scarves, mini teddies/toys.

  • Become a collection point for the boxes or transport them to Smile.

  • Help load the truck or make a donation towards transport costs. Credit or debit card donations can be made by telephoning the Smile Office.

  • Join a Smile Step Out team and help distribute aid and shoeboxes – brochure available from the Smile office or as downloads on our Step Out Trips and Gap Years pages.

If you would like someone to speak at your school assembly or club, please contact us to make arrangements.

Sorting and packing
Sorting and packing
 Christmas shoeboxes in warehouse
Shoeboxes awaiting sorting

Shoeboxes at a school in Kosova
School children in Kosova

SPONSOR A SHOEBOX

Lead a busy life? Haven't got a lot of spare time to shop for presents?

Want a stress-free solution? Then Sponsor a Shoebox!

This great idea allows you to donate £5, £10, £15, £20 or more towards providing underprivileged children with a present. There are a number of benefits to this scheme. One of the most important is that we spend your money in the developing world, benefitting the local economy and indirectly supporting local communities. We recognise that climate change is having a devastating effect on the world's poorest people. Sponsoring a shoebox enables us to delight thousands of children who live in Africa and Asia, without using sea containers or aeroplanes to transport their gifts.

Sponsoring a shoebox is also quick and easy! Just choose one of the following ways:

WHERE WILL MY SHOEBOX GO?

Whether you have donated a shoebox or sponsored a shoebox, your gift will be distributed to a child in need in Africa, Asia or Europe. Our shoeboxes are given to children regardless of their gender, race, nationality or religious beliefs We don't add any literature to our shoeboxes due to the sensitive nature of the countries where we work.

Distributing Christmas shoeboxes in Uganda  Shoeboxes for children in India  Pastor Samuel distributing shoeboxes in India
 Shoebox distribution in Uganda and India

SHOEBOX CHECKING

Every year we have very many volunteers who give us their time to check the shoeboxes we receive. We have a policy of checking every shoebox to ensure that they all meet the standards we have set. Many of the boxes we check do meet our standards and these are sent with nothing added or removed from them. We receive boxes from a variety of sources and sometimes a box does not contain the right things – some have lots of only one item and others are missing others (e.g. a toothbrush but no toothpaste). We also have to check that all cuddly toys bear the European CE mark, relating to safety.

We remove any items listed on our unsuitable list, and it is especially important that we do not send items relating to war and violence. We also remove any chocolate (as we cannot send this) plus sweets with a “Best Before” date earlier than the end of June of the following year. By checking each box in this way we are ensuring that all children receive a box with a similar range of gifts in their boxes.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

If you would like to become a Shoebox Coordinator or be a Shoebox Collection/Drop Off Point in your area, we would love to hear from you - please contact the Smile office. We also welcome Volunteers to help sort and pack shoeboxes.

The information on this page is available in our Shoebox Leaflet. Please feel free to photocopy the leaflets, form and labels, or print from the PDFs.

Thank you for helping us to maximise the amount of available funds that we can use directly on our projects to help those in most needs.

 

DOWNLOADS AND LABELS

Colour-coded labels are great help and time-saver when the aid is distributed. Please save the GIFs below or download the PDF for sheets of labels (approximate label size 1.5"x3", 4x7.5cm). The white labels are for reproducing on coloured paper.

 

Smile Shoebox Resources ZIP (12.5 MB) – Zip file containing all the items below:

 

Shoebox label boy blue

Shoebox label boy white

Shoebox Leaflet PDF (978 KB) – leaflet includes shoebox donation form and 2 labels

Shoebox Donor Delivery Form PDF (24 KB)

Shoebox Labels PDF (941 KB) – 4 x A4 pages, 20 labels per page

Shoebox Label Boy Blue GIF (8 KB)

Shoebox Label Boy White GIF (5 KB)

Shoebox Label Girl Pink GIF (8 KB)

Shoebox Label Girl White GIF (6 KB)

Smile Shoebox Colour and Cutout PDF (11.7 MB) – Please feel free to use these resources in your school, pre-school, church, club, or at home!

OTHER POINTS

  • Contact the Smile office for collection details or to request more leaflets. Shoebox Collection Points list is on our Contacts page.

  • Smile International reserves the right to remove any unsuitable boxes or items and use them for the benefit of the charity.

  • At the end of each shoebox season any remaining contributions will be used for the work of Smile International.

  • If you have any queries, please contact us on aid@smileinternational.org
Christmas Shoebox Colouring Book - Colour And Cut Out PDF SHOEBOX COLOURING AND CRAFTWORK

Smile Shoebox Colour and Cutout PDF (11.7 MB) 55 pages

Colouring pages for children of all ages – simple pictures of shoebox gifts for younger children, and pictures of the shoebox journey, suitable for older children who enjoy obtaining a realistic result. Items to make – cut-out money boxes (shoebox, truck and basket) to raise funds for Smile's Christmas Shoebox project, origami page markers and origami storage box. Please see our School Twinning page for more Cut Out And Colour PDFs to download, suitable for educational and fund raising purposes.

  

SMALL GIFTS – BIG DIFFERENCE
First hand account of shoe box distribution in Sri Lanka by Pam Beech in Sri Lanka

In June 2009 I visited people in Koreava, a poor area of Hambantota, only reached by rough sandy tracks, scarcely wide enough for the van to pass. We were greeted and led to the Preschool building, containing one table and some chairs, no evidence of toys or craft materials, the only decoration some photo frames on the back wall, and a couple of large paper lanterns.

The preschool room was quite dark, because the windows were quite high, The walls were blue and the chairs were a faded red. There were about 20 children sitting on chairs waiting, looking apprehensive. So I thought I would try and imagine the scene through the eyes of one particular girl in a stripey top, who caught my attention. She wasn't in the hall to begin with and turned up later.

"Something is happening, Strange people have arrived – in a van – not many of those find there way here. One of the people is WHITE!! Let's go and see who they are. First of all sit patiently and quietly waiting, sharing a chair with a friend, because there aren't enough to go round. Watch the strange people unloading boxes. What are all those brightly coloured boxes, anyway? Applaud as names are called, and people are given boxes by that strange white woman. Sneak a surreptitious look at the person next to you, sitting proudly with a box on his lap. Has he looked in the box yet? No! Wouldn't it be awful if my name isn't on the list. Please let my name be called. It isn't!

The room is getting noisy now. Some people are opening their boxes. They've got toys. I've never had a toy of my very own. There are still boxes left. Maybe I can have one of them. Please please can I have one! That lady is writing down other names. I wonder if she will write my name down. Let's go up to the table and see. I grab my friend's arm and pull her up to the table with me.

Hurrah! She's written our names down. That means we can each have a box. It's such a relief. The smiling white Auntie gives it to me. She seems pleased when I say "Tank oo" just as Uncle told us to. It's covered in blue paper with funny white things on. This is a special moment, and not to be rushed. First just sit and look at the box, hold it, feel it. Think about opening it. Very carefully lift up one corner and peep inside.

Quick! Shut it up again. There are so many things inside. I saw a hat and pencils and a cuddly toy and some things that I don't even recognise. Now gently slide one of the elastic bands off the box. Careful! don't lose the band. Slowly ease the other band off, and hold it carefully. I don't notice the noise in the room now. Or the movement as people compare boxes. All my attention is focussed on MY box. Slowly I start to lift the lid up, savouring the delicious sense of anticipation. Wow. A delighted giggle escapes my month. I let go the lid, clap my hand over my mouth and look around. Did anyone hear? No one except Sudu Auntie (White Auntie) and she's smiling again. She wants to take my photograph. She walks over and shows me the picture. The box can wait. I'll look at the photo first, 'cos no one I know has a camera.

Shoebox distribution at Koreava Pre-school, Sri Lanka

Oh! Its time to go, and I still don't know what's in my box. I'll put the bands back on it, and, very carefully, take it home to Ame (Mummy). And one more photo for the smiling white auntie. I'm so glad they came. I've never had lots of new things before."

Fanciful, maybe – but the way the girl opened the box is genuine. A shoebox may be a little thing to you and I, but it can make a big big difference to the lives of people in places like this.

 Pam Beech
Sri Lanka, June 2009

 

"Webale!"
"Thank You!"
Children's Centre, Uganda
Uganda		 "Faleminderit, faleminderit shumλ!"
"Thank you, thank you so much!"
Roma village, Kosova
Kosova

 On behalf of the children, thank you for your support

 
 

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