The Box Appeal - helping the ex-pat laborers

This is our second year to be a part of an annual charity event called the Box Appeal.  Radisson Blu and a local radio company co-sponsor an event providing a box filled with everyday items so that the laborers are able to save more or send more money home.  I can't find the numbers but I think they were trying to fill over 10,000 boxes in the UAE this year.  All the construction, gardeners, janitors, etc. positions here in the UAE are filled by hard-working ex-pats from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other poor countries that rely heavily on remittances from overseas workers.  These workers can spend two years away from their families at a time and endure large sacrifices in order to provide for their families and hopefully give their kids better options than they have.  I admire these workers (and the women, too) so much and our family is happy to help out with this worthy cause.

The girls and I drove about 1/2 hour away to load up our minivan with empty boxes to give out.  Our school also participates but as they ran out of boxes last year, we decided to help get more of them to our side of town.  We then distributed them to friends who aren't at our school and offered to help get them back to a collection point.

We decided that we would fill eight boxes (two for each girl).  We loaded up on regular toiletries like toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, soap, shampoo, razors plus items like talcum powder that we didn't realize was a "must have."  We also filled each box with a shirt, a cap and a hand towel.  Buying the caps, I found some knock-offs that said Arkansas Hogs and LSU Tigers.  I'm pretty sure that if they wear these hats and someone comes up and says, "Go Razorbacks!" they would have no clue what that person was talking about!

In any case, we're so glad to get our kids involved in a project that helps others and that starts some good conversations at our house about poverty, opportunity and sacrifice.

Meredith helping me drop off our boxes - lots of other kids at our
school have been helping out, too!