The Santa Shoebox Project’s Somerset West and Stellenbosch drop-off centre received 2 127 donated shoeboxes between Friday and Saturday, 28 and 29 October.
This is according to Deborah Zelezniak, the chief executive officer and executive trustee of Santa Shoebox.
Pictured above are Judith Brink, the coordinator for the Somerset West and Stellenbosch Santa Shoebox drop-off, and Nikki Lopes, who manages the financials. Irenè Pieters, a former Stellenbosch resident and the founder and former chief executive officer of Santa Shoebox, retired this year. Since then, Deborah Zelezniak has been committed to continuing her legacy. She said she has been actively involved in the project for 10 years. PHOTO: Jessica Hillier
This year, every box which was pledged by donors from the Stellenbosch and Somerset West regions was received, said Judith Brink, the Somerset West coordinator.
“We are fully pledged,” said Zelezniak. “This means that every single child on the lists for Stellenbosch and Somerset West will receive their shoebox.”
2022 marks Santa Shoebox’s 17th campaign since their establishment in 2006, Zelezniak added, and they are anticipating a total donation of 75 000 boxes nationally.
Zelezniak said the Somerset Mall drop-off caters for donations from both Somerset West and Stellenbosch, despite the distance between them.
“And I have to say this,” she said. “It’s because we don’t have a team in Stellenbosch. Stellenbosch is a prosperous suburb and it’s got a lot of young people with a lot of energy – we need a drop-off in Stellenbosch.”
“The generosity of the people who donate is amazing,” said Fiona Haughney, a volunteer for the Santa Shoebox Project. “It’s a very joyful experience for us, to be a part of this. It’s such an honour, actually. It’s a real honour.” VIDEO: Jessica Hillier
A direct donation to your own community
Santa Shoebox gift donations, according to their website, include a decorated shoebox filled with a minimum of eight stipulated items: a washcloth, soap, a toothbrush, toothpaste, educational supplies, a toy, sweets, and an outfit of clothing.
“What is special about this project is that donors are able to choose the recipient of each shoebox by the child’s first name,” Zelezniak said. “Each gift item is new, not used or second-hand.”
She explained that when a donor is linked to the Stellenbosch and Somerset West drop-off, their beneficiaries are from that specific community.
Pictured above is Fran Clarke, a volunteer for the Santa Shoebox Project at the Stellenbosch and Somerset West drop-off centre. Deborah Zelezniak, the chief executive officer of the Santa Shoebox Project, emphasised her appreciation for Doctors Eventually, a group of medical students from Stellenbosch University’s Tygerberg campus, for their group pledge this year. PHOTO: Jessica Hillier
She added that while Stellenbosch was able to match their number of donations to their pledges this year, donors should know there is no limit to the number of shoeboxes they can donate.
“Every year, we receive about three times as many applications from beneficiaries as the number of shoeboxes that we are able to distribute,” said Zelezniak.
Heart-warming success
Zelezniak said, apart from five members on the head office team whose salaries are paid by Pep, the entirety of the Santa Shoebox initiative is operated by volunteers.
Phindile Maseko, a Stellenbosch volunteer since 2016, said she was inspired to volunteer after seeing them in action at an orphanage she was involved with.
“When I saw the boxes coming in, I wanted to see what was behind the scenes,” she said, adding that she is not only inspired by the project, but that she also enjoys her work very much.
Zelezniak said in October 2020 the project had reached a milestone of providing shoebox gifts to one million children across South Africa.
“We have an award-winning system,” explained Deborah Zelezniak, the chief executive officer of the Santa Shoebox Project. “Every system-generated label has a QR code on it, which enables us and the donor to track their box from the moment they pledge, to the moment that specific child for whom they pledge receives the box.” PHOTOS: Jessica Hillier
Since reaching their millionth pledge, Zelezniak said they have been able to spend monetary donations from private individuals built up within the Santa Shoebox Legacy fund.
These funds have been used “to help ensure food security, reach various United Nations sustainable development goals, and build and renovate crèches and early childhood development centres,” according to Zelezniak.