For me, Christmas is a festival for children. There is nothing more beautiful than seeing a child happy about a gift, their whole face beaming with joy. Some children do not know this joy because they have never received a gift and live in very poor conditions. With this fundraising campaign, you can help bring a wonderful moment to children who are not as fortunate:
Decorate the shoebox for Christmas
For the gifts, you first need a shoebox that does not exceed the dimensions of 30x20x10cm. Boxes from men's shoes, approx. size 43, are best. Just don't use boot boxes; it's better to make 2 small packages and make 2 children happy. I organized 2 boxes at the shoe store Shoe4you; they were very helpful.
Cover the outside of the box with pretty Christmas paper so that a nice Christmas package is created. I must admit that I imagined wrapping this box would be easier; I worked on it for a bit longer and am not entirely satisfied with the result. In the end, I hope that 'my' recipient children will pay more attention to the contents than to the box.
The label
To ensure that every child receives a suitable gift, the boxes are also provided with labels. These can be printed out on the website:Labels at www.geschenke-der-hoffnung.at
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Which gifts to pack
Now for the very important part: the gifts for the children. In general, you can say that all children are happy about many different things: So don't just pack toys, but mix them up. Here are the rough categories:- Toys: Stuffed animal, doll, dominoes, card game, car, ball, yo-yo, puzzle, etc.
- Clothing: Shoes, hat, scarf, gloves, tights, T-shirt, socks, pants, etc.
- School supplies: Pencil case, fountain pen, colored pencils, felt-tip pens, compass, set square, solar calculator, coloring books, etc.
- Hygiene products: Toothbrush (in original packaging), toothpaste, brush, comb, etc.
- For snacking: Candies, dextrose, lollipops, and milk chocolate.
Of course, there is a division into boys and girls and into 3 age groups. Anyone who has no ideas at all is welcome to get some suggestions here so that the shoebox is nicely and variedly filled.
Gifts for children aged 2 – 4 years
Girls, clothing size 92–110
Cuddly toy, doll, colored pencils, wax crayons, coloring book for girls, soft ball, hair accessories, brush, toothpaste, toothbrush, underwear, dress, hat, scarf, gloves, tights, socks, sweater, shoes, milk chocolate, dextrose, candies (if possible sugar-free).
Boys, clothing size 92–110
Cuddly toy, vehicle (small car, excavator, tractor, etc.), soft ball, building blocks, colored pencils, wax crayons, coloring book for boys, milk chocolate, dextrose, candies (if possible sugar-free), toothpaste, toothbrushes, underwear, hat, scarf, gloves, sweater, pants, tights, socks, shoes.
Gifts for girls and boys 5- 9
Girls, clothing size 110-140
Cuddly toy, doll, small game (cards, puzzle, dominoes, etc.), ball, colored pencils, drawing paper, notepad, notebooks, milk chocolate, dextrose, candies (if possible sugar-free), toothbrush, toothpaste, hair accessories, jewelry for children, shoes, sweater, pants, stockings, dress, underwear, hat, scarf, socks
Boys, clothing size 110-140
Cuddly toy, vehicle (small car, excavator, tractor, etc.), ball, colored pencils, drawing paper, school notebooks, notepad, milk chocolate, dextrose, candies (if possible sugar-free), toothpaste, toothbrush, comb, shoes, sweater, pants, underwear, hat, scarf, socks
Gifts for girls and boys 10 – 14
Girls, clothing size 140-176
Small cuddly toy, puzzle, milk chocolate, dextrose, candies (if possible sugar-free), toothpaste, toothbrush, stationery, colored pencils, paint box, brushes, drawing paper, school notebooks, solar calculator, hair clips, fashion jewelry (bracelet, necklace, etc.), lip balm, comb, hairbrush, hat, scarf, pants, T-shirt, skirt, socks, tights, shoes
Boys, clothing size 140-176
Car, soccer ball with (small) air pump, milk chocolate, candies (if possible sugar-free), toothpaste, toothbrush, colored pencils, paint box, brushes, drawing paper, school notebooks, notepad, solar calculator, compass, baseball cap, rubber ball, keychain, yo-yo, hat, scarf, pants, T-shirt, socks, shoes
These gifts are not allowed
- used, old, or broken items
- electronic devices
- fragile or liquid items
- Soap
- Food: nuts, trail mix, sugar, pasta, coffee, tea, juice, dairy products, cookies, speculoos, gingerbread, cake, or similar.
- Chocolate with nuts, cookies, crisps, or other fillings
- Gelling agents such as those in gummy bears, wine gums, chewy candies, or similar.
- Medication and vitamin effervescent tablets
- War toys, scissors, knives, tools, or dangerous objects
- Items that have witchcraft or magic as a theme
Only new goods and sweets that are shelf-stable until at least March of next year and contain no gelatin should be put in the shoeboxes. This regulation was made because many countries have very strict import and customs regulations. At the packing stations, the boxes are checked again for compliance with these regulations. If customs-inadmissible items are found, they will be donated to other charitable causes. If a box is too large, it will be repacked so that one more child can be happy.
I personally also think it's good that the items must be new. These children don't get a gift very often in their lives, and it should be something special and not a used toy that might already be falling apart.
My shopping list
My gifts for a girl 5-9:
Since my daughter is just turning 5 years old, I found it easier here; I bought things that my daughter would also like, especially the necklaces and hair accessories that my daughter is currently into:
- hat
- scarf
- Gloves
- Tights
- Socks
- Hair clips & hair ties
- Necklace & bracelet
- so that natural sounds reach them and calm them down. A T-shirt from Mom or Dad can also help. These smell wonderfully of their loved ones and calm the little one. Many children also like to take their
- Doll
- Milk chocolate
- Pez with dispenser
- Dextrose lollipop
- Coloring pencils + pens
- Paper pad
- set square
- stickers
My gifts for a boy 5-9:
For the gifts for a boy, I was also a little inspired by my son; for him, small cars are currently the most important thing besides chocolate.
- hat
- scarf
- Gloves
- Tights
- Socks
- small cars
- so that natural sounds reach them and calm them down. A T-shirt from Mom or Dad can also help. These smell wonderfully of their loved ones and calm the little one. Many children also like to take their
- Soft soccer ball
- Milk chocolate
- Pez with dispenser
- Dextrose lollipop
- Coloring pencils + sharpener
- Paper pad
- set square
- stickers
Include a personal greeting
Finally, include a lovely Christmas greeting in the form of a card or a letter.
Donation for transport
For transport and processing, € 6 must still be paid. This can either be paid in cash at the drop-off point or transferred via account.
Where can I drop off my box?
On the website, you can search for a suitable drop-off point under the 'Drop-off points' tab by entering your zip code:Drop-off points for Christmas in a Shoebox
In the Marchfeld and parts of Vienna, it is also possible to drop off your shoebox through the Biohof Adamah. The Biohof Adamah provides its transport service, where the shoebox is taken along in the empty crate when ordering a crate. More info:www.adamah.at
Why support this project?
I stumbled upon this social project by chance on the internet. On YouTube, I was suggested a video of a little girl who lives in very poor conditions in Belarus and was filmed while unpacking her shoebox. It was such a joy to see how she beamed at every item she fished out of the box. Tears came to my eyes, and I knew I wanted to participate and elicit such a beam from a child. Briefly, I would also like to address the frequently voiced criticism that this campaign is not sustainable: Of course, one could use the money in the villages and try to improve the living conditions for the families there. But sometimes the money never reaches the 'smallest'. Often one hears that the money was used by the parents for drugs or alcohol.
In my opinion, however, it is important to give the next generation hope and to show them that they can also have luck once in their lives. On Facebook, you can find several comments from recipients who received a shoebox back then and are now giving some themselves. Here you can always read what an experience it was for them:Christmas in a Shoebox on Facebookor you can simply watch a few videos on YouTube of distributions:Christmas in a Shoebox on YouTube. Anyone who still has questions and needs information can contact the project management of Christmas in a Shoebox:Contact option for Christmas in a Shoebox. So don't think long and participate, so that many children can be hugely happy again this year!
Read also:Â DIY gifts for a more sustainable Christmas
Photos by Sabine, meinhaushalt.at
