Christmas Shoebox

The mission of Open Door Haiti's Christmas Shoebox Outreach is to demonstrate God's love in a tangible way to needy children in Haiti, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.  As a child receives their Christmas Shoebox, eyes filled with delight and anticipation of what waits for them inside, they know that God loves them...and that you do too!

How To Pack A Christmas Shoebox

1 - SHOE BOX ... Use an empty shoe box (standard size, please) or a small plastic container. You can wrap the box (lid separately), but wrapping is not required.

2 - BOY OR GIRL? ... Determine whether your gift will be for a boy or a girl, and the child's age category: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14. Use the appropriate boy/girl label shown below. Mark the correct age category on the label, and tape the label to the top of your box.  If you are giving to a specific sponsor child at ODH, write their name clearly on the label.

3 - FILL WITH GIFTS ... Fill the box with a variety of gifts that will bring delight to a child.

4 - INCLUDE YOUR DONATION ... A donation of $7 or more for each shoe box you prepare will help cover shipping costs. You can write a check to Open Door Haiti (memo: shoebox) and place it in an envelope on top of the gift items inside your box. If you or your family are preparing more than one shoe box, please make one combined donation.

5 - DROP OFF ... Place a rubber band around each shoe box and lid and drop off with your church representative by December 4th, or mail to:
Open Door Haiti 5070 Orange Blvd  Sanford, FL 32771.

GIFT IDEAS

TOYS - small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, small Etch A Sketch®, toys that light up or make noise (with extra batteries), Slinky®...

SCHOOL SUPPLIES - pens, pencils and sharpener, crayons or markers, stamps and ink pad sets, writing pads or paper, solar calculators, coloring and picture books...

HYGIENE ITEMS - toothbrush, toothpaste, mild bar soap (in a plastic bag), comb, washcloth...

OTHER - Hard candy and lollipops (please double bag all candy), mints, gum, T-shirts, socks, ball caps; sunglasses, hair clips, toy jewelry, watches, flashlights (with extra batteries)

A PERSONAL NOTE - In a separate envelope, you may enclose a note to the child and a photo of yourself or your family. Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope with your sponsor child's name as the return address to receive a note back.

DO NOT INCLUDE - Used or damaged items; war-related items such as toy guns, knives or military figures; chocolate or food; liquids or lotions; medications or vitamins; breakable items such as snowglobes; aerosol cans...