Every year, as the winter holidays approach, we want to bring joy to places

where deprivation and worries seem to cast a shadow over childhood. The ShoeBox campaign – “A

gift from the heart”, organised by the SMILE Association, is more than just a

gift collection.

Now in its ninth year, the ShoeBox campaign has

grown year on year thanks to the communities, volunteers and

sponsors who have chosen to get involved. Over the course of these

editions, thousands of boxes have been given to children in

care homes, families in need or rural communities

. Each box contained not only toys, clothes,

school supplies or sweets, but also a simple yet powerful message:

“You are not alone, someone is thinking of you!”

For the ninth edition, we have set ourselves an ambitious goal: over 20,000

boxes collected from across the country, all gathered in Râmnicu Vâlcea,

where our volunteers will sort and prepare each gift to be sent

on to all the branches of the SMILE Association. From there, the gifts will be

distributed to communities across Romania, so that every child

receives a ray of light and hope as a gift.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Every year, over 300,000 children wait for Father Christmas with

eagerness, preparing warm milk and biscuits for him. However, around 40,000

children on the night of 24 December can only dream of finding presents under

the tree, with hope being the only thing that still brings a smile to their faces.

The Shoebox Campaign – 9th Edition

You can prepare a box to give to volunteers at collection points

You can donate money

You can spread the word

You can become a volunteer

This year, we’ve set out to reach these children and show them that

Christmas miracles. You can help us fulfil the wishes of these young souls by

donating a box. All you need to do is wrap it up nicely and specify whether

it is for a girl or a boy and the relevant age.

WHAT CAN BE IN THE BOX?

Toys

Clothes (scarf, hat, gloves)

Sweets

Hygiene products

You can find more details at https://myshoebox.ro and https://smile.org.ro