Sending a shoebox to Romania

Well I am in the midst of making up three shoeboxes to send to Romania. Part of a woman's magazine "My Weekly" called "Shoeboxes for Romania" This is taken from the magazine. I quote;
The destination is Romania, to many needy people. Schools for the deaf for the blind, orphaned children and abandonded babies, old people's homes where residents sometimes have to share a cup, maternity hospitals where mothers have no clothes for their babies. Children dying with cancer, HIV and aids. Children desperatley trying to survive on the streets, the desperately poor and the despairlingly homeless.

"The idea is that you choose and age group and sex of the person you want to receive the box and pick gifts accordingly. The greatest need is always for school age boys and elderly men."

You can choose to make your box up with men and women boys or girls.
Any suggestions of something "special" not food or breakables that I could get in. My three this year are for Boy 10-14, Boy 14+ and elderly man.
There are set things. You can make universal. Which I have for all three ie.
Face Cloth, Soap, toothpaste, tooothbrush, shampoo. Combs. New underware, socks, hankies and cap in for elderly man, hat, gloves, scarfs. For 14+ and Elderly man I have put, Deodorant, shaving cream and brush. Aftershave.
For elderly man I also put in a mug, 2 x ties, belt, wallet, battery clock, set dominos. Dice.
For the Boy 10-14. I have put;Pencils, pens, rubbers sharpners, ruler geometry set, Writing pad, Cassettes Calculator, Pocket English dictonary, watch, slippers, personal stereo with batteries, pack playing cards, model airoplane (to make up) Small remote conrolled car. England shirt(not sure about that)
For Boy 14+ I put personal stereo batteries tapes, pocket game, music tapes, picture of Kylie, Cap (Hard Rock) England shirt (not sure about that)

I have made them up and sent them for about 3 years now and my young nieces and nephews make them up to they make them for children of their own age group.
Seemed a little to do for someone who has nothing to have "something" for Christmas.
These words in the magazine made me start.
"There is no-one in the world who cares for these children bar the staff, they get no presents or cards for birthdays or christmas.Never a party, they can't afford adequate underclothing - and some of these youngsters are changed 4-7 times a day. They have no toys, No TV's, Their only music comes from an old cassette recorder with a broken case. The only recreation is a swing, and two tiny chutes in the garden. They can't be used in the freezing wintersm Indoors their are classrooms and bedrooms they have not heard or seen a playroom."

So I am lookin for ideas? got any. No foodstuff or breakables they are handled a lot the parcels. Oh of course I put a Xmas cracker in and a card

I can't think of anything just now - but I will try and think of something - do you just send them for Christmas or do you send them throughout the year? and what is the address for sending them?

my youngest daughter doe,s this on a regular basis thru her school

my son also does these boxes with his school,i do boxes for our soliders in iraq

I organise this through work at Chritmas, you wanna see the amounts of toys etc that people bring in. I also ask people to bring in soap, toiletries pencils, pens and other stuff, anything as long as it is not war related.

We sent these a couple of years ago and really enjoyed making them up, last year though I didn't see it advertized anywhere.

Can you post an address or place I can drop them off at please, I'd like to help.

Kazz These boxes are a great idea and used to be done at my sons little school. Also a person I know went on the original 'ask Anneka' thing with Severn Trent Water to the orphanages to do them up, he came back a changed man and continued to go every year at his own expense taking lots of stuff with him. I sent clothes that my son had grown out of and hid sweets in the pockets. We even got a little note back

I do the boxes at Christmas. My family don't really "do" presents, just the occasional gift to say I love you. So I now make up shoeboxes on behalf of each member of my family, that's their present.

Our school does it every year and one of the things that got the biggest response was new underwear ..and if you think about it , if you've got nothing then a clean pair of trollies is a luxury so we always send boxers for the boys and nice knicks for the girls

Hello people, I enjoy doing them and pick up bits and pieces through the year (sad eh) but the address if anyone is interested is My Weekly Romanian Appeal, 144 Port Dundas Road, Glasgow, G4 OHZ.
Buy a copy of My Weekly and you'll see the whole thing it touches your heart I think. When you see the clothes they are in and how happy they are with a shoebox.
I have to say my nieces Katie 12, and Sophie 10 and Taylor 8 adore doing the boxes and now Louis who is 6 on Sunday has really got the hang of it he loves searching for things to fit for the box he does his for a boy his age I figure if he likes it they will. He was upset when he read they had no toys and wanted to send his goal nets he got us all choked up when he said "But I've got lots of toys and if I lived there and could only have one toy ever and ever I'd have my goalie nets" When pointed out he wouldn't have them if he sent them (which obviously he couldn't) he said "But if I could only have one toy I'd want them." His younger sister Molly is getting involved this year she's 4 now and loves picking little girlie things with the older girls. Taylor has put in a barbie doll this year and some barbie clothes.
Karen