Shoebox TIPS

CHANGES in 2008:

New Zealand's National Collection deadline is back to October 25th -- last year's change was to fit in with the school holidays. Our regional deadline will have to be a few days earlier than the 25th to allow us time to get the boxes to Auckland.

It now costs $8 to get each shoebox to its destination.

NO LIQUIDS means nothing that could leak. This extends to batteries, so no battery-operated toys or torches. Solar-powered types are great for equatorial regions, though!

NO SWEETS. Lollies attract ants and have expiry dates which produce a big red light from the Customs officials.

NO TOOTHPASTE. Did you know toothpaste has an expiry date? Again, this is a problem with Customs -- a shipment of shoeboxes sat on a wharf in Argentina for 9 months while the officials tested sweets and toothpaste to see if they were safe.

NO INFANT BOXES. Some folks have been filling these already but don't fret. This is a transition year. Obviously some Infant boxes are going to turn up at the packing house in 2008. They will be distributed along with all the others. In brief, the reason is that if OCC has a pile of Infant boxes remaining after some portion of the distribution, they can't use them for any other age group. Infants grow, so a 2-4 year category box will work for a baby.

NO PACKAGING. The Solomon Islands do not have a garbage disposal service. If the packaging can't be removed easily by hand and isn't useful, don't send it.


YES List
Narelle's list of Must Haves for shoebox fillers:

1. Lots of stationery -- the more paper they have the more productive their schooling.
2. A bag -- both boys and girls need a container to keep things in. Shoulder bag, pencil case, zipped carry bag...
3. A ball -- such toys stimulate community involvement. The United Nations say getting the children playing again after a disaster is the quickest way to bring a community back to life.
4. A cuddly toy -- even 14 year old boys love a soft toy.

Recommendations:
Not socks or undies (which they don't wear). Jandals rather than shoes - they fit growing feet for longer.