We are incredibly grateful to have experienced such heartwarming support for the 2023 Christmas Shoebox Project!

Here are the highlights of the campaign which provided over 2905 Christmas boxes for kiwi kids around Aotearoa.

SANTA'S GROTTO HAS BEEN BUSY

In Auckland we are thankful for the gracious support of SkyCity, who opened the doors of Federal House to us so we could set up Santa's Grotto - a bustling hub for packing and distribution in the heart of the Auckland CBD. 

 

In Wellington we are thankful for the help from Wellington Helicopters and East by West Ferries, who helped out in so many ways to get the boxes in, sorted and distributed to charity partners.

In Christchurch, thank you to Mike and the team at Christchurch Community House, always a pleasure to work with you. 

In Dunedin, Thank you to Steve and Sue at Volunteer South and the Dunedin Community House. 

Also, in Dunedin thank you to Laura and the team at Forsyth Barr who opened their doors for over 20 volunteers to sort and wrap boxes. 

CORPORATE TEAMS LENT US THEIR MAGIC

The true stars of the Christmas Shoebox Project? 171 volunteers from Auckland, Wellington, Whanganui, Canterbury, and Otago. We're immensely grateful to SkyCity, Hays Recruitment, Grant Thornton, Rockwell Automation, JETNZ, NZ Post, Spark, Cavell Leitch, Forsyth Barr, Chorus and Volunteer South for their invaluable help in organising gifts, volunteers and the assembling many of the boxes.

DONATIONS OF SPECIAL ITEMS RECEIVED

A special acknowledgement goes to those who generously provided incredible products for the boxes — Deloitte, Dow (Mike and Mel Robb), Pitney Bowes, the NZ Dental Association, NZ Olympic Committee, PlaceMakers, Scholastic Books, Author Karen McMillian, Arvida, Kohler, and The Soap Factory. whose contributions made these Christmas boxes extra special.

A NEW MILESTONE THIS CHRISTMAS

This year marked an extraordinary milestone for us as we collaborated with the NZ Team and PlaceMakers on the 'Give the Gift of Play' campaign. A heartfelt thank you to the NZ Olympic Committee and athletes for contributing sports gear, and to PlaceMakers for hosting collection boxes. Together, we amassed 143 items that will bring joy to kids all over the country.

In the South Island, Dunedin's Golden Centre Mall hosted a special display to help people donate gifts resulting in an array of lovely gifts. 

THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS

We could not run this campaign without the charity relationships we have, and their reach into the community. Thank you for supporting whānau throughout Aotearoa, from Invercargill to Kaitaia.

Special thanks to Lyttleton Community House, Corstorphine Community Hub in Dunedin and Hakeke St Community Centre in Whanganui, who got their communities involved in the Christmas Shoebox Project and community Christmas events.

UP NEXT: BACKPACKS 4 EDUCATION

As we turn our eyes to 2024, we're excited to announce our next campaign. In the lead up to the new school year, we'll be seeking monetary support and donations of school supplies and devices for children in need. We'll also be looking for teams of volunteers to help put backpacks together. If you or your team would like to contribute, please reach out to us now. Let's keep the spirit of giving alive. 

Thank you once again to everybody involved for your incredible support.

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and we look forward to making a difference together in 2024.