'Christmas Shoebox Drive' By Hungarian Baptist Aid

  • 6 Dec 2024 11:57 AM
'Christmas Shoebox Drive' By Hungarian Baptist Aid
‘Cipősdoboz Akció’ ('Christmas Shoebox Drive' in English) is an annual charitable movement is running until 18 December to collect and give Christmas gifts to disadvantaged children in Hungary.

The number one aim is to enable these children to have something which will bring a smile to their faces over the holiday period which will help that will make their lives easier, something that most of us take for granted who otherwise would have not gotten anything.

’Cipősdoboz akció’ was first organized in 2003 with the collaboration of Hungarian Baptist Aid (HBAid). At the time the gifts arrived from Western Europe, but from 2004, HBAid started the first Hungarian driven Operation.

Since then, more and more workplaces, schools and communities have joined the charity campaign, and HBAid now distributes more than 40,000 parcels of Christmas gifts to children in need.


How to do it? 

1. Find an empty shoe box in good condition.

2. Decide whether you want to give it to a girl or a boy, and their age.

3. Fill the shoe box with gifts (toys, stationery, hygiene items, sweets, books).

4. Wrap the finished gift package with colored wrapping paper (separate the top and the bottom) and then tape it with transparent tape or tie it with string.

5. Write clearly on the box the age, and girl or boy you want the gift for. (Eg “boy 12” or “girl 8”).

6. Take the finished gift package to one of the shoe box collection points by December 18 at the latest.

You can find the collection points on the website www.ciposdoboz.hu, under the menu item "Collection points" (Gyűjtőpontok).

More (in Hungarian): 
ciposdoboz.hu

Photo courtesy of the organisers

Related links

Photos: Santa’s Trolleybus Creating Joy Around Budapest, Helping Children In Need

  • How does this content make you feel?

Explore More Reports

  • Insider's Guide: Getting Married as an Expat in Hungary

    Insider's Guide: Getting Married as an Expat in Hungary

    • 21 Jul 2026 8:33 AM

    With its many romantic locations and competitive cost options, Hungary is a great place for expats to get married. The legal process is pretty straightforward, provided you meet the necessary requirements.

  • Free Entry: French Institute's Annual Street Ball in Budapest on 11 July

    Free Entry: French Institute's Annual Street Ball in Budapest on 11 July

    • 9 Jul 2026 2:52 PM

    French chanson, African drum rhythms, Moroccan world music, street games, and culinary specialties await visitors on 11 July at the French Institute’s traditional Street Ball here. Organised to celebrate the French National Day in Hungary, this free event will once again transform the Danube riverbank into an all-day cultural festival.

  • Why Crisis Looms for Hungary's Youth Offender Institutions

    Why Crisis Looms for Hungary's Youth Offender Institutions

    • 2 Jul 2026 12:03 PM

    The operation of youth offender institutions is at risk because there are not enough qualified staff to provide basic care, the child protection section of the Teachers' Union (PSZ) warned in an open letter to government decision-makers.