Welcome to Shoebox 2018

Who we are

The Shoebox of Love Programme (commonly known as ‘Shoebox’) is an initiative of Operation Shoebox, an independent, accredited non-profit organisation registered in South Africa. Founded in 2006, the 2018 Shoebox of Love drive will bring the number of children and pensioners to have benefitted from the programme to over 34 000 in the last 12  years.  

How it works

You can register to ‘adopt’ a vulnerable or orphaned child between 17 August and 30 October each year. You will be provided with the child’s name, age, gender, grade at school, their favourite colour, hobby, clothing and shoe size, and ‘likes’ enabling you to make up a customised gift for them. This gift should be packed in a cheerfully decorated shoebox before being distributed to homes and care centres in the Western Cape and Gauteng in November and December.

In 2013 we extended the programme to cover vulnerable old-age pensioners at selected old age homes in the Western Cape and Gauteng. These gifts are not as personalised as those for the children. Rather, should you choose to ‘adopt’ a granny or grandpa, you will be given guidelines on how to make up a care package with up to 12 gift items to include.