The Box Project

Last fall I read about The Box Project in a magazine. It seemed just the right fit for an ongoing project of giving for my family.

The Box Project matches families in need with families who "sponsor" them. Each month, we send a box of items worth about $50 to our family in rural Mississippi. The organization suggests different "themes" for boxes, such as a birthday box, back-to-school box, etc. The recipient family is required to correspond with us each month after receiving the box, and we always include a letter in each of our boxes.

The project provides a way for my family to actively help real people - we know their names, have their photos and share in their lives, as they do in ours. Participating in the box project has made the reality of poverty a little more concrete for my children and also teaches them that it is possible for one family to make a difference, albeit a small one.

A few statistics:

Right now in the United States, the richest country in the world, nearly 37 million Americans are living in a state of poverty, hunger and hardship, with one out of every 6 children living in poverty. The U.S. child poverty rate is two-to-three times higher than in any other major industrialized nation.

Please consider participating in The Box Project. It's easy, affordable. and can really make a difference in people's lives; both the recipient family and the sponsors.

According to the box project, "We often hear from recipients that the most important thing to them about being matched with a sponsor is the relationship. They say it gives them courage to know that someone out there cares about them."