In September, thousands of empty shoeboxes went out all over Bruce County as the annual Operation Christmas Child Shoebox campaign began. Two short months later, thousands were filled.
Each year, the shoeboxes are filled with surprises for children in countries where a shoebox can bring a message of hope and love to a child who has never received a gift.
Thousands of shoeboxes were picked up and filled by individuals, organizations, businesses and church groups are now on the road to collection centres in preparation for shipping.
On November 20th, nine vehicles (thanks to Ron White, Mark White, Jeff Jackson and six others) left the Shoreline Baptist parking lot in Port Elgin with more than 2,000 shoeboxes in a snow storm only to discover that inland the sun came out and, WOW, great travelling weather to and from the Hanover Missionary Church. From there the gift boxes will travel by train to the final processing centre in Calgary. From there, will begin their long journey to the children in the Ukraine, Philippines, Senegal, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Nicaragua and Sierra Leone.
They were part of the more than 5,000 shoeboxes collected in the area from Wiarton to Kincardine, Ripley to Tiverton, Saugeen First Nation to Port Elgin and all communities in between.
The support we have had from Saugeen First Nation has been nothing short of amazing. Donna Nashkewa-Jackson and her enthusiastic, inspiring team have been incredible. They proved that “many hands make light work”.
This year, many sensed world conditions, and that heightened enthusiasm resulted in reaching out to children and hurting families with more packed boxes, donated shoebox items and donations for shipping costs than ever before.
Operation Christmas Child is a program run by Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian relief organization headed up by Franklin Graham, son of Bill Graham. Since 1993, over 100 million shoeboxes have brought message of hope to children living in desperate circumstances where famine, poverty natural disaster, war or disease is an everyday occurrence.
Several businesses and organizations also opened their doors to become pick-up and drop-off locations for the Shoeboxes: Salvation Army Thrift Store, Turtle Crossing, Missionary Church, BarDown Kincardine, Shoreline Baptist Church, 98theBruce radio station, Square Deal Neil and many others.
