SANDRA M STANWAY
Brooks Bulletin
The shoebox program for Operation Christmas Child is underway.
The program sees people filling shoeboxes with items such as a toy, school supplies, hygiene items and even personal notes and photos.
The shoeboxes, which are to be wrapped with an elastic band and labelled to indicate the age and sex of the recipient and $12 to cover shipping and other program costs, can be dropped off from Nov. 18 to 24 at the Brooks Alliance Church Monday to Friday 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday noon to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to noon.
Operation Christmas Child is an annual initiative of Samaritan’s Purse.
Last year Canadians filled more than 425,000 shoeboxes with gifts for children in West Africa, Central America, Ukraine and Philippines.
In a world weighed down with inflation, political turmoil and the effects of war, children need joy more than ever.
Since 1993, 220 million shoebox gifts have been collected and distributed to more than 130 countries.
“Struggling children and families need hope,” said Kendra Shields, director of Operation Christmas Child.
