Spreading cheer with Operation Shoebox and gifts from St. Nicholas
"Both of these initiatives are a powerful reminder to not only be grateful for what we have, but to always find a way to give back—especially during the holiday season.”
Frederic Sabban, CSR Senior Manager and project coordinator, Deloitte Luxembourg
The end of year brings several cherished holidays, but it can be a difficult time for those who are struggling to make ends meet. Last December, we focused once again on giving back to our local community.
Operation Shoebox
Since 2014, Deloitte Luxembourg has spearheaded an initiative named, “Operation Shoebox.” The mission? To get shoeboxes full of hygiene essentials into the hands of those who need them most.
In December 2023, a festive Charity Cake and Pie Contest helped raise the funds needed to purchase the products. Each business function (Strategy, Risk & Transactions and Technology & Transformation, Tax, Audit & Assurance, and Operations) had its own Charity Cake Committee leading the effort, encouraging applicants to showcase their culinary skills and scoring them based on taste-testing feedback.
In total, 81 dishes were generously entered into the competition, and 400 employees paid to participate. Through this successful event we raised €2,013 to help go towards purchasing hygiene products.
An additional contribution of €6,500 from the Deloitte Foundation (to be reflected in their fiscal year 2025 budget) helped expand the reach even further.
As we were able to purchase 9,600 products, we needed additional helping hands. More than 40 dedicated employees volunteered between 1 and 2 hours of their time to help pack shoeboxes, with eight essential hygiene products: shampoo, cotton buds, cotton discs, shower gel, soap, toothbrushes, deodorant, and toothpaste.
Through this incredible teamwork and community effort, we had the privilege of carrying the holiday spirit of giving well into the summer, which is when we distributed a total of 1,200 shoeboxes between two shelters housing those in need.
St. Nicholas gift for kids
For more than a decade, our Deloitte colleagues and their families have the chance to “meet” St. Nicholas and kick off the holiday season. And with each invitation, there is a unique opportunity to either select a gift for your own child or donate that same value to a child in need.
Last year, our employees’ generosity shone bright as we distributed 1,008 gifts donated to deserving children across 37 shelters in Luxembourg.
