“The best way to make children good
is to make them happy.”
Oscar Wilde

Our school community made 650 children happy last year.

Imagine the impact we can make together if we take

it even further this year!

Dear Children and Parents, dear Teachers and all the Employees of ESF,

In a few weeks, it is Christmas, the most beautiful but also the busiest part of the year! We all want to have a happy Christmas, and we do everything we can to make that happen.

As you hopefully heard about it, our school participates this year again in the Christmas in a Shoebox campaign (Weihnachtspäckchen für Kinder in Not.) and we are collecting Christmas presents for children in need.

In all the Christmas rush, please do not forget about less fortunate children, for whom we may be the only hope to have a happy Christmas and receive presents. Only one or two extra presents and one or two shoeboxes can make a real difference to someone’s holiday this year.

Apart from the material value of the gift, there is also the fact that someone has thought about 'me', that 'I am precious to someone'. The joy of the shoebox reverberates emotionally for a long time – but also quite practically: children find schoolbooks, warm clothes, toys and much more in their shoebox. What are normal everyday objects for us are invaluable for many needy children; most of the time, their families cannot afford these things themselves.

How to participate? Watch our video

1. Get an empty medium size shoebox.

2. Fill it up with fun toys, hygiene items, school supplies, sweeties, clothes. Please avoid metal toys!
(Suggestions link)

3. Personalize your shoebox with a note or a photo or a drawing of your child.

4. Close your box and wrap it in colorful wrapping paper.

5. Attach the appropriate boy or girl or neutral label and select an age category on it. (Labels are also attached to our letter and can be found in the flyers of Kinderzukunft at school.)

6. Bring your present to the ESF between 28 November and 9 December! Please leave your present in the container by the main entrance of the school and don’t put it under the Christmas tree.

7. Please support the distribution with your charity offer of 4 Euros per package here. This is an investment in the life of a child.

Experience has shown that boys 10-14 years old get the least presents. The most boxes are always packed for the 5-9 age groups. Unless you have a specific preference, we would like to recommend that you pack also for older boys and girls. They love to receive balls with pumps, school stationery and books, warm clothes, a cool cuddly toy, chocolate, sport clothes.

More information about the Christmas in a Shoebox campaign you can find here.

If you are curious where and how the presents will be distributed, please click here.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask: office@esfparents.org or agnestome@outlook.com.

Weihnachtspäckchen-Hotline: 0 60 51/48 18-19

Thank you in advance for your help.

Kind regards,

Christmas in a Shoebox Team
Parents’ Association ESF