KAMLOOPS — Since 1993, more than 157 million children living around the world have received a gift through Operation Christmas Child.
The Samaritan’s Purse initiative ships out millions of shoeboxes filled with items for children who are living in impoverished or war-torn regions.
This is National Collection Week, when Canadians have the opportunity to get involved by packing their own shoebox gifts.
Kamloops Alliance Church is the collection centre for the city, and dozens of shoeboxes have already arrived at the church.
“Within the hour I received 100 boxes,” said Indira Rempel, logistics coordinator for Kamloops and area. “One hundred shoe boxes, 100 lives are going to be touched.”
Operation Christmas Child is a world-wide, non-denominational campaign to spread a little joy to children in more than 100 countries around the world.
“The joy on their faces when you see these children open up their gifts is humbling when they’re so happy to receive a sticker, or a stuffy, and here we are in our country blessed with so many things,” Rempel said. “These children literally cry with joy, and they keep the box that they get their gift in for years.”
Empty shoeboxes can be picked up at a number of businesses and churches around Kamloops.
“Last year we packed over 2,100 shoe boxes, and I’m really aiming for 3,000 or more shoe boxes,” Rempel said. “It’s a busy time, it can add up and people are so involved in their other activities but I’m hoping that they’ll do this as a family, it’s a great project for children to work with their parents to put together a shoe box, and then the joy of them handing the shoe box over. It’s priceless.”
The shoeboxes can be filled with a variety of items such as school supplies, hygiene items and toys. Some items, like candy, liquids, and war toys will not be accepted.
Once the box is packed and labeled it can be dropped off at Kamloops Alliance Church. The church’s Ministry Centre, located at 200 Leigh Rd., will be open for drop off daily from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., and from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
“Once the boxes are all packed up on Sunday, being the last day, they get shipped by crate to Calgary head office,” Rempel said. “They then get counted and the boxes are examined for safety purposes and re-taped, and then boxed again and then they get shipped overseas.”
Rempel calls them supernatural boxes, saying lives are changed every year through this small, simple gesture.
Shoeboxes can also be packed online by clicking here.
