Deadline to provide gift-filled shoeboxes to struggling children only nine days away
Sunday, Nov. 19 is final day to drop off Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes; after that, Canadians can continue to pack boxes online at PackABox.ca
CALGARY, Nov. 10, 2017 /CNW/ - The deadline for Canadians to pack and drop off gift-filled Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes is only nine days away. Sunday, Nov. 19 is the final day that shoebox Collection Centers throughout the country will still be open.
That still leaves time for Canadians to express their support and love for struggling children in the developing world. Begin by visiting SamaritansPurse.ca/occ, click on the Collection Center locator map, and enter a postal code to find your nearest drop-off point. You can also call 1-800-303-1269 for similar information.
Tens of thousands of Canadians are already packing boxes. They begin by choosing whether to help to a boy or a girl, then decide on one of the three age ranges (2-4, 5-9, or 10-14). The ideal box contains school supplies, hygiene items, and toys, plus a $10 suggested donation for shipping and other project costs. Many donors also include a personal note to the child, and a photo of their family that the child will treasure.
This year's shoebox campaign began on Oct. 10 and has seen volunteers and supporters all across Canada hosting and attending shoebox-packing parties, parades, fundraisers, school-, church-, and club-led initiatives, and even Operation Christmas Child-themed birthday parties.
"When Canadians pack Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts for struggling children, they send a profound and important message – that Canadians care about these children, and that God loves them and hasn't forgotten about them," said Fred Weiss, Samaritan's Purse Canada's Executive Director.
Pack shoeboxes online now, and also after drop-off deadline: Canadians can pack shoeboxes online, and add personal notes and photos, at PackABox.ca at any time of year from the convenience of their own homes.
Last year, Canadians filled more than 660,000 Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes with gifts destined for children in the developing world. Globally, thanks to generous donors in Canada and other sending countries, Samaritan's Purse has given shoeboxes to more than 146 million children in over 130 countries since 1993.
The shoebox is just the beginning: Operation Christmas Child creates opportunities for Samaritan's Purse to provide other help to children, their families, and their communities through clean drinking water, literacy and job skills initiatives, feeding programs, medical care, and more.
About Samaritan's Purse Canada
Samaritan's Purse is a Christian relief and development organization that takes its name from Jesus Christ's biblical story of the Good Samaritan. Like that Good Samaritan, who found a beaten man and helped restore him, we aid victims of war, disease, disaster, poverty, famine, and persecution. Besides Operation Christmas Child, our initiatives include providing safe water, vocational skills, and agricultural supplies and training to families in the developing world. Learn more at SamaritansPurse.ca.
SOURCE Samaritan's Purse Canada
News Media Inquiries: Frank King, News Media Relations Manager, 403-250-6565 (work) or 403-990-0161 (mobile), [email protected]
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