Volunteers at Oliver Alliance Church finish packing up shoeboxes and prepare to ship them to the Calgary processing plant during the 2012 drive.
With only a few days left Operation Christmas Child is calling on residents to help fill shoeboxes for children in need. The campaign, which began shortly after Halloween, wraps up on November 22, but Oliver coordinator Coralee Cook says it’s not too late to donate.
Held in conjunction with Samaritan’s Purse Canada, a nondenominational Christian organization, Operation Christmas Child has collected and distributed over 100 million shoebox gifts worldwide since its inception in 1990.
In 2012, Oliver residents donated 677 Christmas boxes to children overseas and Cook is hoping to match that number. The boxes are available at Dollarama as well as local churches and schools, include packing instructions and can be dropped off at Oliver Alliance Church during business hours.
Boxes can be labeled for a boy or girl and can include hygiene items, school supplies and small toys or clothing items.
“It’s a pretty amazing thing when you see the difference that these boxes can make,” said Cook. “We have so much, and when you see how grateful these kids are for something as simple as a toothbrush, you can’t help but realize how lucky many of us are, and how important it is to share with others.” For more information about OCC visit www.SamaritansPurse.ca
