Youmna Hassanein, Innovation Intern

Smile in a Box: Unwrapping Joy, One Box at a Time

In the winter of 2014, against the backdrop of festive decorations, three working mothers, while volunteering during Christmas, found themselves yearning for a deeper connection with the true spirit of the season. They thought about how to make their holiday celebrations more meaningful, aiming to engage with their community and bring joy to children in need.

Out of these conversations emerged an inspiring idea—a simple box that would not only bring smiles to children's faces through toys but also provide them with vital items they could not afford. As a result, Smile in a Box was born, a Lebanese organization dedicated to spreading joy to children through small gift boxes that include toys and essential items such as stationery items, and hygiene products.

Smile in a Box Team

We met with Lara Chamoun, a mother and graphic designer, and one of the co-founders of Smile in a Box. “I am very busy, but I always make time for Smile in a Box,” Lara said devotedly. “We learned about Tadamon after the explosion in Beirut,” she shared. The Beirut Explosion in 2020 further exacerbated Lebanon's already strained economic situation. “It became very hard to ask people for help because everyone needed money,” she added. Faced with these difficulties, they recognized the need for innovative solutions and found that crowdfunding could be a way to seek assistance.

A Smile Worth a Nation 

Smile in a Box participated in the Tadamon Crowdfunding Academy in 2021, embarking on their campaign “Basmeh Btsiwa Balad [A Smile Worth a Nation].” With a unique focus on supporting Lebanese small businesses and fostering national unity, the campaign aimed for a 100% Lebanese essence. Lara expressed, “It was the first time we joined a program like this, and it was super helpful and beneficial.”

She continued on how the Academy helped them manage their campaign and improve their teamwork dynamics. “We had a very big problem with teamwork since we are three working mothers and often one person ended up doing everything. The Academy helped us learn how to organize ourselves better, access information more easily, and learn how to market our campaign.”

Participating in meetings with like-minded individuals who shared a common vision for community support was genuinely inspirational for Lara. She emphasized, “Just seeing other people and observing how they worked, thought, and contributed to their community gave us a lot of ideas on how to collaborate effectively and strengthen our teamwork.”

From Boxes to Bonds

“If we calculate everything we got as donations, it was more than enough” Lara stated. Not only did their campaign gather $8,960 through the Live Love Beirut platform and through generous donations from Crown Flour Mills and other companies, but the campaign's visibility also facilitated unity among Lebanese organizations, collectively contributing to putting a smile in a box for children.

Children receiving their Smile in a Box gifts

Generous donations poured in, including 1,500 t-shirts from Emile Rassam, 5,000 biscuits from Gandour and Stars, 1,500 stationary items from Agape, 3,000 chips and cereal boxes from Difco Group. All of these donations amounted to a total of $32,120. 

But this was just the beginning. Smile in a Box continued their impactful journey, launching campaigns to aid children struggling for nutritious lunches and to honor heroic mothers dedicated to their children. 

Smile in a Box’s campaign photo for the “High Five to Our Heroes” Campaign

Through their various campaigns, Smile in a Box successfully raised $92,700, enabling them to create 6,000 boxes for 6,000 children, causing 6,000 heartwarming smiles. Lara recounted a touching moment, “You should see the smile of every single child when they receive this box. One time this year, a child took the box, opened it, saw a toothbrush, and was so happy about it. It was touching to witness a boy really happy with a toothbrush.”

A child receiving a box

The impact extended beyond individual smiles to the broader community. Lara concluded, “Everybody who comes and helps really feels something. It makes the helpers, not only the children, smile; the givers and takers are happy.” The journey of Smile in a Box demonstrates the power of a compassionate community and the joy derived from giving back.