Editor:
Operation Christmas Child brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations world wide through gift-filled shoe boxes and the Good News of God’s love. You can get involved by packing a shoe box gift. It may seem like an unexciting object to us. But, to millions of children around the world, that basic container has, since 1993, become a welcome surprise at Christmas and also a symbol and demonstration of caring and basic humanity.
Operation Christmas Child has ensured that each year millions of underprivileged children receive a shoe-box gift. These boxes will go to children who normally wouldn’t receive a gift at Christmas. This year boxes filled from Canada will go to children in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Anyone can fill them, adults and children. It’s a great family project, it teaches your children that Christmas is not only about receiving gifts, but also about giving. Selecting items and filling a box is an activity that parents can do with their children.
Plastic, reusable containers are recommended for packing your shoe-box gift. The boxes should be filled with a variety of items. Please remember to give $7 or more per box to cover project costs, including shipping. It is requested that you do not seal your boxes so that the workers in Calgary can check the contents to make sure everything in it meets customs requirements. They also need to get in the box to retrieve the money you have provided to help offset shipping costs. When the shoeboxes have been checked in Calgary they get packaged into large containers to be shipped to various countries around the world to needy children.
Further information about Operation Christmas Child, a list of suggested items for inclusion in the shoeboxes, how to pack, label and seal the boxes is available at the Integris Credit Union. New: You can pack a shoebox online-go to www.samaritanspurse.ca/shoebox.
When you have packed your shoebox please be sure to drop it off at the Integris Credit Union on or before November 23, 2012. For any questions please contact Cathy DeMerchant – 996-7846 or Norma Hoy – 996-8349, Or visit the website: www.samaritanspurse.ca
Norma Hoy