The year is nearing its end and soon shops will start putting up Christmas decorations.
Christmas is a time associated with giving gifts to loved ones.
But there are also many families for whom this season isn’t quite as joyful as they struggle to put food on the table for their loved ones and for whom gifts are a luxury they can only dream of.
The Hermanus Times team launched the Boxes of Love project two years ago to help ensure a number of children in areas where the paper is distributed will receive a gift to make their Christmas special.
This year they chose Mispah School for Learners with Special Educational Needs in Elim as the project’s beneficiary.
The school has 103 learners – 49 boys and 54 girls – between the ages of 9 and 18. Most of them are from towns across the province and spend the better part of the year at the school’s hostel.
Since our last visit to the school on Mandela Day (18 July) several of our readers have opened their hearts and cupboards to donate much-needed items such as bedding, toys and items of furniture to make the hostel a home away from home for its young residents. For this we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Now we once again appeal to our readers to assist us with the Boxes of Love project by calling our office or sending an email to choose the name of a child you would like to bless with a shoebox filled with some essential items such as toiletries and stationary and also a sweet treat and small gift.How to decorate the box:
Please choose a sturdy shoe box that can be re-used for storage.
Cover both the lid and the box with colourful paper and tie it closed with a ribbon, string or an elastic band. Add a small tag with the child’s name on it.
What to pack:
. Toothpaste and a toothbrush.. Bar of soap and a facecloth.. Educational supplies such as colouring pencils, erasers, pencils, glue sticks, pencil cases.. Deodorant for the older kids.. Slipper socks.. Cute hair accessories for the girls and a cap or ball for the boys.. Sweets and a small toy (please refrain from including battery-operated toys).
It is advisable to put items such as blow bubbles or chocolates into a separate smaller bag so that the contents won’t leak and dirty the other items in the box.
Please contact the Hermanus Times on 028 312 3717 during office hours or send an email to bianca.duplessis@hermanustimes.co.za by 15 November to choose the name of the learner or learners who you will be packing a box or boxes for. You can also opt to sponsor a box at R180 per child or choose to donate a smaller amount.
