Pomteaaa~: Christmas Shoebox Appeal~

So it's now the middle of September and we've already bitten off a huge chunk of 2013 without even realizing it. Scary, isn't it? It's particularly distressing when, like me, you've just spent the best part of a year doing nothing of any real value whatsoever. Luckily, we haven't quite reached the end yet - we've still got three and a half months to redeem ourselves, to make real positive changes to our lives. Unfortunately, I'm finding it very difficult to do this right now as it's chucking it down outside and I'm actually quite cosy tucked up in bed with a mug of hot chocolate. Hmm. Maybe I'll start tomorrow.

Something I have been having some success with is my promise to do more for charity. And what I'm going to talk about today is a very important one, which I jumped at the chance to get involved in. In fact, absolutely anyone can give something to this charity. This is the shoebox appeal.

You'll probably have heard of it - people are asked to fill a shoebox with little gifts for disadvantaged children living in poverty in some of the poorest countries in the world. These children may never have received a gift before, so this appeal means a whole lot to them and their families. I've been doing it for the past five or six years now, and it's a very fulfilling thing to do. Just knowing that you are putting a smile on a poor child's face on Christmas day is a truly wonderful feeling. Most organisations that do this usually want the boxes in by the end of November, so if you're interested, there's plenty of time to make up a box of your own! I'm going to show you what I've put in this year's box, and you can use it as inspiration if you like.

My finished box

Generally accepted items include things like hygiene products, school supplies, sweets, toys and clothes. Check with the organisation you're doing it with first though - acceptable items vary between different charities. Usually, there is a list of what you can and cannot put in your shoebox on the organisation's website.

1. Hygiene products

Kids living in poor countries won't always have access to soap etc, so toiletries like these are a great idea for your shoebox. I have included a two bars of soap (one is Dove Beauty Cream Bar, another is just a pretty one I bought from a market stall), one Colgate toothbrush, a tube of Oral-B Complete toothpaste, a packet of Boots tissues and a pink loufa thingy from the Body Shop. Just a few basic essentials that we take for granted, but could be a luxury for a child living in extreme poverty. You could also add in some shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, deodrant etc, but as my box is aimed at a younger child I didn't really think these were as necessary.

2. Toys and treats

Toys - what every child really wants for Christmas. I'm sure everyone remembers that Christmas morning feeling you got as a child; nothing was ever more exciting than all those new toys and gifts. That's why I think that this is an important thing to include - you could fill up your box with essentials to keep a child clean for months, but without toys it just doesn't seem like a Christmas gift. I bought a Mr Men soft toy, some sparkly hair clasps, three pairs of warm Hello Kitty socks, a packet of cute Hello Kitty plastic rings, some foam stickers and a lavender scented candle. Make sure all the toys you buy are brand new - preferably with the tags still on them. You wouldn't like to receive second-hand presents - and neither would the child! You could also buy some sweets to put in, but some organisations don't allow chocolate in the box - again, check with whoever you're doing this with.

3. School supplies

This is definitely an important one. Many poor children in places like Romania and Nigeria have to spend a lot of time working in the fields to help their parents make a living, from a very young age. Having an education means they can one day escape this life of hard labour and carve out a career for themselves. Most of the time the parents can't afford to spend money on things like pens and calculators, so these could really make a positive difference to a child. I've included a lined notebook, a pocket calculator, some coloured pencils, normal pencils and a multi coloured ballpoint pen. Crayons, erasers, sharpeners etc would also be great things to add to your box.

So, please do consider having a look into this, it's a really worthwhile thing to do and it really doesn't take that much time, effort or money, but can mean the world to a child. Watch the video below to see how much joy this simple gesture can really bring to a child who has nothing.