World Vision

Santa’s Shoebox 2011 & teaching kids generosity

Just to close the loop on the Santa’s Shoebox Project…

We went to drop off our 3 boxes (plus 2 from my colleague) on Saturday.

I found the whole thing extremely well organised.

There was a guy at the gate who suggested we quickly park and workers there would collect our boxes but I said, “no!!!! I want the whole experience. The children want to hand over their boxes personally, but thanks for offering”.

Turns out all my preparation didn’t change their personalities 🙂 as Kendra HOWLED when we tried to get her to hand over her box but Connor happily handed over all the boxes.

Dion with my colleague’s boxes

The lady giving my kids stickers – they loved it

those are our 3 boxes

And so ends Santa’s Shoebox 2011.

We will definitely participate every year from now onwards.

Not only is it for a very worthy cause but more important to me, it’s teaching our kids gratitude for all the things they are blessed to have and that they need to have a spirit of generosity.

When they’re a little older, I’ll also explain to them about their “brother”, a World Vision child that we sponsor.

How do you teach your kids to have a giving heart?

Vote for my blog for the SA blog awards – click the button and it will take you to the two categories my blog’s in.

Thank you 🙂

I’d like to introduce you to my third child

I received a letter the other day from World Vision telling me I’ve been allocated another child.

You see, I’ve sponsored a child for the last 13 – 14 years.

I’d gone to a Steven Curtis Chapman concert. He did a little promo for World Vision and I remember thinking, “it’s only R50 a month” (at the time).

I could blow R50 in about 10 minutes so it was an easy decision to sign up and sponsor a child.

World Vision believes in teaching people to fish, not just giving them the fish, which totally ties into my philosophy of empowerment.

Child 1

Was a girl in the Eastern Cape (where I’m from originally). Their community had grown self-sufficient and they no longer needed sponsorship. Fantastic

Child 2

Was a boy in the Western Cape. This was the child I sponsored the longest (about 8 years). He grew up and out of the programme as I think they only go up to a certain age.

Child 3

Is a boy. This boy is too young to write (normally they let the children write) but his mother wrote me a note to say thank you for sponsoring her son. Both her and her husband are employed but they don’t earn enough to support their 3 kids.

It broke my heart. To think that a tiny debit order that goes off my bank account automatically every month can mean so much to someone.

You can also make a difference to a child’s life.

There are 3 options – R150, R250 and R500 a month.

Sponsor a child here

All of us who have kids know that R150 does not go a very long way (one pack of nappies for one of my babies) and yet it can make a huge difference to a child who can now go to school, be fed, etc.

Do you already sponsor a World Vision or Compassion child? Has this post made you think about doing so?

P.S. World Vision don’t know that I’m doing the post – I just really felt compelled to use this platform to hopefully get some money for a few more kids.

P.P.S. My biological kids are 18 months today!