SOME CHRISTMAS SHOE BOX IDEAS

Fall 2021

 Here are a number of thoughts and ideas that have come out of conversations with some of the Chaplains delivering the shoeboxes, seafarers receiving them and others who have been involved in the program for many years.  These are not hard and fast, but rather suggestions, unless otherwise noted.

First, a couple of PLEASE DO NOT’S:

 PLEASE DO NOT wrap your box and lid separately, they fall off, spilling the contents when they are being bagged for delivery.

• PLEASE DO NOT put any form of bow on your box, even curly ribbon. They get stacked in piles fifteen to twenty five high prior to bagging for delivery to the ships and bows cause piles to fall.
• PLEASE DO NOT put bottles of water in the boxes. They make the boxes very heavy for the chaplains and ships have thousands of gallons of water on board, plus they make more.
• PLEASE DO NOT include any used items or partial containers of such things as shampoo or toothpaste. You would not want someone else’s used goods and they do not either.
• PLEASE DO NOT open prepackaged items, such as tooth brushes, razors, etc. If you are including such items, leave them in the package for sanitary reasons.  If you are buying bulk quantities, such as a ten pack of razors, put the whole package in the box.  It will be used.
• PLEASE DO NOT include any religious material. Chaplains have bibles in 47 languages if a seafarer wants such, but these are gifts from the heart, not evangelistic gifts.

Now for the good part, the PLEASE DO’S:

• Plastic shoe boxes available from discount stores can be an extra gift for seafarers to use for their personal items and/or toiletries. They really appreciate this extra gift.
• Gloves: Cotton or plain leather work gloves are great.  Knit mittens or gloves are too bulky and limit their dexterity in handling lines and such on board ship and knit scarves or mufflers are dangerous because they can get caught in moving machinery, such as winches.
• Tightly knit stocking caps with no tassels or other adornments are appreciated. Please though, remember that they will be worn under a hard hat so a tight but not bulky knit is appreciated.
• Pack the boxes full. Use new items, not odds and ends such as used pencils or pens close to needing a refill.  Think about what you might need if you were away from any shopping for two months.  Nobody wants to open a box with three items while the next seafarer is opening a full to the brim box. 
• Probably 98% of the seafarers are men, BUT, there are some women on ships now. If you pack a box for a woman, PLEASE note on the outside that it is for a WOMAN.  A 23 year old man is probably not going to know what to do with lipstick or dusting powder, but if the box is not identified as being for a woman, then there will be one embarrassed seafarer.
• Please try to use regular sized boxes, whether they are plastic boxes or cardboard shoe boxes. Five get stacked, then bagged as one bundle and boot sized boxes create transportation problems for chaplains, who sometimes have to haul boxes as much as a half mile to a ship on a hand truck through a refinery if they are not allowed to drive to the ship. Also, if one seafarer gets a boot size box of goodies and everyone else gets a regular shoe box size, there are hurt feelings.
• Please include only NON – MELTABLE items like hard candies. Chocolate bars melt and some hot chocolate requires milk to mix, not water.  The water based version is preferred.
• Ships usually provide bars of soap, but items such as shampoo, deodorant and toothpaste are usually NOT available on the ship.
• In addition to having a church box packing day, consider asking families to fill boxes throughout the year, wrapping them and setting them aside until Christmas box time at church. Remember, every box donated is one more seafarer receiving a gift of love from Houston.
• Regardless of how boxes end up being created, remember, you are showing God’s Love for others in preparing each box you do. Make it a gift from your heart.