For someone who struggles to get by day-to-day, having someone who cares about their personal well-being and future success has a drastic impact on their world-view and confidence. Some of our sponsors use this rich experience to teach their children the value of unselfish giving, and at the same time, learn that the true gift of giving is bestowed upon the giver.
As a testament to the success of The Box Project, we have stories from sponsors and recipients that were matched over 35 years ago. Although the recipient family has broken the cycle of poverty and no longer needs material aid, the friendship remains strong.
Recipient Success Stories
This Box Project Recipient learned about the Box Project through a group of nuns who were placed in her hometown in rural Mississippi. It was the “Sisters of the Holy Name” and one Sister in particular that would change her life forever. As a 26-year-old, divorced single mother of three with two young girls and a young boy, she could really use the extra help promised by a Box Project sponsor. The young mother of three says she was discouraged and depressed with the Sisters and the Box Project changed her life by matching her with a family located all the way in Canada. In fact, the sponsor’s reason for choosing her recipient family specifically was because of the similarities between their families–the sponsor had two girls and a boy around the same age.
In just a short period of time, the families became extremely close, corresponding through letters. The boxes sent by her sponsor included material needs such as food or cleaning items as well as supplies for the kids. However, this individual notes that it is not merely financial assistance that the Box Project gave her–it was companionship that really made the difference on both hers and her children’s future lives. She describes her experience: “Things were hard, and it was a huge help with material needs but the letters of encouragement…you know…having a friend…someone to talk to who understood what was going on and actually cared.”
Her family received boxes from the sponsor for 10 years. At this point in the recipient’s life, she had found work, her kids were graduating and moving on, and she just didn’t need as much support as she did before. Before their official Box Project relationship ended, her sponsor helped set up a college scholarship fund for her kids, which would help ensure their continued success. This recipient dedicates her ability to “get back on her feet” and her children’s success to the opportunities provided by her sponsor and the Box Project.
Click here to sponsor a recipient family.
Mike was raised by his grandmother along with seven other boys in the family. For over 20 years, his family had Box Project sponsors who cared. After a visit to Mike’s family home in the Mississippi Delta, his sponsors realized that the conditions of the family’s rental home were inadequate for living. They returned home and made an appeal to local churches to build a new home for this family. Over several weeks, work crews traveled to rural Mississippi and built them a brand new home. Mike worked alongside the work crews every. single. day. After the death of his grandmother, Mike is now responsible for the home. Today, he co-owns his own Barber Shop in his hometown.
Click here to sponsor a recipient family.
Tim grew up on a dirt road in the Mississippi Delta “suburbs” of Itta Bena, fortunate to have a Box Project Sponsor family from Maine. When he was an early teen, the sponsor sent Tim two books–the first and only books he had ever owned. This made a very important impression on him as did the family’s personal mission to make him feel seen and loved. Having a gift personally picked out and wrapped for him was something out of the ordinary for Tim. Today, after earning two bachelor’s degrees, a master’s degree, and now a Ph.D. in computer science, he is working as a professor at the University of Mississippi.
