Gifts of Good Hope

We are collecting gifts to give to orphans and vulnerable children within our partner programmes which will be handed out at their Christmas parties. We'd love for all who are able, to help out with a small gift.

Corporate packages are also available. Contact us directly for further info.

How to pack a box | Gift Idea's | Choose age & gender | Volunteer | Drop off | FAQ | Donations

Confirm your intention to put a gift box together by emailing us now.
Email marketing@youthunlimited.org.za with your name, contact number and email address. Also let us know how many boxes you intend on putting together.

• Choose an available age and gender
• No bigger than a shoe box
• Wrap the shoe box and decorate as you wish
• Fill with gifts including:
  • Toothpaste and tooth brush
  • Bar of soap and wash cloth
  • Item of clothing
  • Educational supplies
  • Sweets
  • A toy
• Please DO NOT include any of the following in your boxes:
  • FOOD: Chocolate, crisps, tinned food, cakes, perishable food
  • MEDICINE: Medicines or vitamins of any kind
  • WAR RELATED ITEMS: Toy guns, soldiers or knives
  • FRAGILE ITEMS: Glass containers, mirrors
  • LIQUIDS: Of any kind, including blow bubbles, shampoo, bubble bath or aerosols
  • DANGEROUS ITEMS: Such as marbles or sharp objects
  • ELECTRONICS: Cell phones or battery operated toys
  • LASTLY: Anything of a political or racial nature
• Label your box clearly on the outside of the lid, top right hand corner with age and gender.
• Close the box by securing the lid with an elastic band, and DO NOT seal the box as boxes are spot checked to ensure it meets all requirements.
• All gifts should be new and comply with the conditions listed above. Please make sure your gifts are age appropriate and that you do not send any items which might be swallowed or mistaken for sweets. Should you inadvertently include any item that is not suitable, or might be regarded as dangerous for the intended child, Youth Unlimited reserves the right to remove that item and use it for the benefit of the charity.

TOYS - Something to love
Soft toy, tennis ball, finger puppet, yo-yo, building blocks, trucks and cars, doll, dress-up clothes etc.
EDUCATIONAL SUPPLIES - Something to do
Felt pens, pens, pencil sharpener, rubber, coloring book, notepad, picture/puzzle book, pencil case, stickers etc.
HYGIENE ITEMS - Something to use
Toothbrush & toothpaste, bar of wrapped soap & wash cloth, hairbrush, comb, hair clips, roll-on deodorant, talcum powder etc.
CLOTHING ITEMS - Something to wear
T-shirt, shorts, dress, pajamas, etc. Can include as an extra – gloves, scarf, sunglasses, cap, hat, bangles, necklaces, clip-on earrings, make-up or hair accessories etc.
SUGAR AND SPICE - Something to eat
Sweets (sell by date to be at least March of the following year – preferably softer sweets – wine gums, sours etc.
BABY BOX - Something for the youngest
Barrier cream/talcum powder, baby soap, item of clothing, bath towel/baby blanket, soft toy, toy/rattle.
TEENAGE BOX - Something for our teenagers
All of the above plus something cool e.g. cap, sunglasses, toiletries, nail polish, make-up etc.

All items should be new and age appropriate.

• 0-2 years
• 2-4 years
• 5-11 years
• 12-17 years
  
  
• Male/female

If you would like to volunteer some of your time and expertise please email us with details of how and when you would like to help.

Youth Unlimited Head Office in Ottery [view map]

Salesian Institute in Cape Town CBD

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To what value should my box contents be? Monetary value of the box depends where the shopping is done! As long as the box contains all the required items, it can cost anything from R100 – R200

Must the gift box contain ALL the required items? Yes. When the boxes are handed out to a group and the children open their gifts, it is heart breaking to see little eyes looking at everyone else’s filled boxes and he/she only received a packet of sweets in theirs. We try and standardize the gifts as far as possible to be fair to everyone. Extra bits and bobs over and above the required items are welcome, as long as all items fit into the box.

I would like to pack chocolate and blow bubbles in my box? The boxes are stored in containers before they are delivered – temperatures mid summer inside these containers are extremely high and chocolate will melt and spoil the rest of the contents of the box. Plus the child is left with no treat in his box. Blow bubbles and all other liquids often leak or glass containers break causing spillage and spoiling of items e. g. the beautiful colouring book and little dress inside the box.

Can I use any other size box than medium shoebox ( adult shoes ) size? Unfortunately not. The gifts are packed into large carton boxes in order for them to be stored, transported and then delivered to the facilities. Eight to ten gift boxes can fit into a large carton box. These boxes have to be bought, so the bigger the gift boxes the more large cartons are needed and the more expensive the process becomes.

Why can I not wrap my box like a gift? Children keep the boxes as a Keepsake Box as they often do not have anything of their own to keep their little belongings in. If they rip off the wrapping paper the box underneath is unattractive, there is a huge amount of littering with the ripped off wrapping paper and also the label has been ripped off with the paper, so often gifts get mixed up.

Can I make a financial donation? Yes please! Although Youth Unlimited is a non-profit organization, it has all the usual expenses of a normal business for which funds are desperately needed.

Youth Unlimited is a South African registered Non-profit Organisation (052-547-NPO)

Our bank details should you wish to make a financial donation:

Account Name: Youth Unlimited
Current Account Number: 272169242
Branch: Kromboom
Branch code: 026209