Since 1993, Samaritan’s Purse has collected and hand-delivered more than 100 million shoebox gifts to children in over 130 countries hurt by war, poverty, natural disaster, disease and famine.
Shoebox distributions often open doors for Samaritan’s Purse, in consultation with local community leaders, to identify and meet other needs such as safe water, sustainable food production, and/or vocational training.
Last year, Canadians donated 664,066 shoeboxes packed with toys, hygiene items and school supplies during the Operation Christmas Child shoebox campaign. That’s an increase of almost 2,000 from the 2012 total. Of that total, Powell River residents generously donated 530 filled shoeboxes. Operation Christmas Child staff, volunteers and partners distributed these 2013 shoeboxes to children in Haiti, Senegal, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Paraguay, Guatemala and Venezuela.
Shoeboxes are available for pickup from local churches, Your Dollar Store with More and Valley Building Supplies. Also available is an online option where Canadians can choose shoebox gift items, write a personal note, add a photo and make a donation. More than 4,000 shoeboxes were packed online during the 2013 collection season, as Canadians took advantage of this option. This online option is available year-round for those who for health reasons, scheduling challenges, or limited access to transportation aren’t able to shop for gifts and pack shoeboxes in the traditional way.
Operation Christmas Child runs this year until November 16. To find out more or ask how to participate in this year’s campaign, readers can contact Katie Alescio 604.485.6116.
Participating in Operation Christmas Child is a fun, family-friendly way of encouraging the joy of the Christmas season.
