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The Comox Valley is once again excited to help bring joy and hope into the lives of thousands of hurting children around the world through gift–filled shoeboxes.
Last year generous people from around the Comox Valley prepared and gave over 1,500 shoeboxes all in partnership with Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse now entering their 22nd season. What’s amazing is that over 100 million shoeboxes have been given during this time. In 2013, Canadians donated more than 664,000 Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes for hurting children around the world.
We are pleased to announce that our 2014 shoebox campaign is now underway focusing on getting the word out to our community, to individuals, businesses, schools, churches and packing physical shoeboxes.
Comox Pentecostal Church once again is the local collection centre where shoeboxes can be dropped off during the week of Nov. 17-23.
Each gift-filled shoebox should contain a well-balanced variety of school supplies, toys, hygiene products, and a personal note and photo if you wish. The requested $7 donation for each shoebox is used to help cover the cost of international shipping and other project-related costs.
This year shoeboxes will be distributed in Uruguay, El Salvador, Guatemala, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau, Venezuela, Equatorial Guinea, Costa Rica, Guinea, Haiti, Nicaragua, Chile (including Easter Island), and Senegal (listed destination countries are subject to change).
For more information, to pick up empty shoeboxes, or for additional promotional material contact local co-ordinator Faye Schellenberg who, along with her team of Karen Beitel, May Lortie and Joanne McEwan, will be happy to assist you in any way. Contact numbers are 250-334-9678 or 250-339-4536 or go online to www.samaritanspurse.ca.
Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes open doors for Samaritan’s Purse to provide children, families, and communities with access to clean water, food, clothing, shelter, medical assistance and more.
Shoeboxes from Operation Christmas Child transcend all barriers—language, culture, geography, and politics—to give joy and hope to hurting children around the world.