frequently asked questions

frequently asked questions

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General Questions

  • Please check the drop off locations here from end September 2023.
  • Please note that we only have our temporary & donated office space for a very short term, so unfortunately we are unable to receive boxes after the deadline.

Indeed you can – please click here.

  • Ideally, boxes should be approximately 30cm x 19cm x 10cm – roughly the size of an adult shoe box. We kindly ask that you don’t use boxes that are oversized or too small!  But if you are looking to be sustainable, then feel free to use a reuseable bag or pack pack.
  • Yes please. Please wrap the box and lid separately (please don’t seal the box) as we need to check the box contents for shipping.  We also love to receive boxes that have been painted, drawn on, wrapped or decorated in any way that is festive!
  • Each box is checked before it is sent on to its recipient, but you can wrap an elastic band around it to keep the contents safe.
  • No, it is possible to use a reusable bag – please keep this to a similar size as the shoe box and fill it in the same way. This way, you are helping us to improve upon our sustainability.  Be careful not to include fragile items that could be easily broken in transportation
  • Yes – As the boxes are given out to children in specified groups, we like them to be fairly standard and to include all the essential items. A soft toy is always  the most loved item and is quite often missing from boxes! 
  • We check the boxes to ensure that the contents are appropriate for their intended recipients – as indicated by the donor’s choice on the box sticker. In addition some of our boxes travel overseas, so we need to ensure that the box’s contents comply with international customs.
  • Given the amazingly huge volume of boxes received, it is impossible for us to keep tabs on each individual box. But by specifying age and gender on your box sticker, you will have a rough idea of its recipient.  Just remember that you are giving a tremendous gift that will make a child very happy!
  • It is our preference that each box contains new items only. But if you are looking to make your box more sustainable, then consider eco-friendly contents (wooden pencils, recycled notepads) and gift them in a reusable bag, rather than a box.
  • No problem. We also welcome reusable bags/drawstring backpacks/book bags.  Please make sure they are approximately the size of a piece of A4 paper and sturdy enough to protect what’s inside.

FAQS FOR SCHOOLS

  • We’d love to have you on board! Please contact our School Liaison, schoolteam@boxofhope.org to get started.  There is a short form to complete to help us give you everything you need.
  • Please email your Box of Hope School Contact for support
  • Once the sticker requests have been sent to the printers we can not guarantee more stickers – but you can print your own!  Please click here to access the sticker file.
  • Click here to access them in the schools’ area or email your BoH School Contact.
  • Our logistics company can only collect directly from schools donating over 50 boxes! But if you have less than 50 boxes, we would still love you to participate and you are welcome to drop your boxes off at one of our designated locations – click here and go to where to take my box to find out where.
  • We are reliant on our logistics partners generously volunteering their resources and availability. Therefore, we can not guarantee a specific time or date, but if you let us know in plenty of time we can consider requests when planning.
  • Please coordinate with your BoH Contact for support and further information.
  • We support a large number of charities all across Asia and given the logistics involved we can not guarantee that your boxes are sent to a specific location. Please know that each box goes to a child who really needs it.
  • It would be great if someone could wait at the school for our logistics team to arrive. Our schedule is very tight so it will be tricky to change the time once it is arranged. 
  • Please simply stack them up. Our logistics team will come with large cartons to put the boxes in. Please don’t put them in plastic bags or put rope around them.

No, our logistic team will load all the boxes by themselves. 

  • All boxes are automatically entered into the design competition and our volunteers have the tricky task of choosing those that are best decorated and beautifully filled!  Don’t forget to put your name and school on the box sticker!
     
  • We request that Secondary students create boxes that we can give to teenage recipients. Things like notebooks, school stationery, caps, socks, wallets  and small soft toys are always well received. Secondary students can also use Box of Hope as a means for earning CAS points towards their IB. For more information on ways to do this, please send an email to schoolteam@boxofhope.org.

FAQS FOR Corporates

  • Yes we are happy to share our communications tools
  • Due to inflated shipping costs, we must charge our corporate supporters $ 30 HKD per donated box. We will invoice you for this, once your total box numbers are confirmed.  We hope that you understand.
  • Unfortunately, we cannot provide receipts for individual boxes donated, but can provide for financial donations.
  • We encourage our corporate supporters to come and get involved, but priority is given to our financial sponsors – please contact the Volunteering Team to arrange your slot volunteersteam@boxofhope.org
  • Whilst many of our charities are happy to share photos of their happy box recipients, some are not, and we must respect the privacy of those under their care.
  • Please follow the box content guidelines exactly, and include items from ALL of the categories. As the boxes are given to children in groups, we like them all to be fairly standard.  Any missing items need to be purchased by Box of Hope and this becomes an unnecessary expense on our part.

FAQS FOR Volunteers

  • We prefer that volunteers come for the entire 3.5 hour shift. With thousands of boxes to check, we need a committed team. Please come on time as we give each team an introductory session to ensure we all know the task at hand. Thank you.
  • Box checking involves opening all of the boxes that we receive to ensure their contents are age/gender/destination appropriate, and modifying as required, to ensure that all boxes contain roughly the same contents.
  • Box packing requires placing the checked boxes in cartons, ready to be sent onto our charities. Please wear something comfortable. It is a nice workout!
  • On the form you can fill in your preference. However we are sometimes short of box packers, so may ask you to switch if we need the extra support!
  • Sorry we don’t. But please feel free to come armed with your coffee and water! 
  • All volunteers must be aged 18 years and over and must have signed up to the session before the day. We cannot accommodate walk-ins. 
  • Yes please!! We are always in need of notebooks, pencils, sharpeners, soft toys and face cloths.
  • Yes, please every donation will help. You can bring a cheque or cash on the day you volunteer, or visit our donation page here on the website. donation.
  • The available volunteering slots are visible on the sign up form. If a day isn’t mentioned, then it means the slot is fully booked. If last minute slots do become  available, then  we will send out WhatsApp messages to the volunteering group.

Schools                        schoolteam@boxofhope.org

Corporates                  corporates@boxofhope.org

Individuals                   info@boxofhope.org

Donations in kind        donations@boxofhope.org

Volunteering               volunteersteam@boxofhope.org

Media                          info@boxofhope.org

Finance                        info@boxofhope.org

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Sponsors

We are extremely grateful to our sponsors who provide us with the means and support to run Box of Hope, year after year.