Earlier this year, we wrote about the launch of “Paper & Packaging - How Life Unfolds,” a promotional campaign that will spend up to $20 million annually over seven years to encourage the use of paper and packaging products. It’s operated by the Paper and Packaging Board (P&PB), a paper industry trade group, and paid for with “check-off” funding from paper manufacturers and importers.

“How Life Unfolds” is all about reminding people of the emotional connections they can make with the help of paper and packaging. For the holidays, the campaign is asking the public to make a special effort on behalf of children who have to spend the season in hospitals with an outreach it calls #SharePackage.

The idea is to create the connection through the thrill of opening a gift. To make it happen, the campaign has partnered with Macy’s to encourages holiday shoppers to give back by filling a prepaid, pre-addressed box with gifts for young patients at their local children’s hospital. Printed on each #SharePackage box is a list of puzzles, books, games, and other gift items suggested by the hospitals.

The campaign aims to distribute 25,000 #SharePackage boxes at nine Macy's holiday events across the country. The #SharePackage boxes were available beginning November 7 with the lighting of Macy’s Great Tree and the opening of Macy’s Santaland in Chicago. Before the holiday season is done, the boxes will have been distributed at Santalands in Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Portland, OR, as well as at holiday tree-lighting ceremonies in Atlanta, Boston, and San Francisco.

Participating hospitals include the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Children’s Health Care Foundation in Minnesota, OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, UC Davis Children’s Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, and the Children’s Hospital of Georgia.

Gift givers are encouraged to share the holiday spirit with others by posting their #SharePackage moments on social media. #SharePackage images can be found on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Photo.sh as well as at the campaign’s home page.