Coast groups working with the Operation Christmas Child shoebox collection program are ready to receive packed boxes and cash donations to help make the holiday season special for youngsters in developing countries.
The drop-off period for packed shoeboxes this year ends on Nov. 21. On the Coast, they will be accepted at both locations of Gibsons Building Supplies, the Wilson Creek and Gibsons IGAs, and Calvary Baptist Church at 711 Park Road in Gibsons. The church location will not be open on Monday, Nov. 15.
Individuals or groups can contact Sunshine Coast coordinator Martha Schroth at 604-886-8545 to inquire if empty boxes are still available, but any standard sized shoebox can be used. Donors are asked to fill their boxes with small toys (and to include spare batteries if needed), school and craft supplies, non-liquid hygiene items, and small apparel items or accessories.
Items that should not be put in the boxes include candy or other food items; toothpaste; used or damaged items; war or violence-related items such as toy guns, knives, or military figures; lotions or lip balms; medications or vitamins, breakable items, or aerosol cans. More details on recommended and excluded items, including a useful guide with suggestions for different age ranges, is available at samaritanspurse.ca.
The charity also encourages those packing the boxes mark whether the contents are intended for a boy or a girl and the approximate age that they would be best suited for. It also suggests that donors consider including a personal note with their return address and adding a photo of themselves to the gift box.
Cash donations are also important to the program, as the cost to the organization to ship each parcel is about $10.
The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate care and compassion in a tangible way to children in need around the world. Approximately 800 boxes were collected from our area in 2020 as part of the 373,000 collected worldwide last year. The boxes were distributed to children in West Africa and Central America.
