Christmas smiles for needy children's faces

INNISFAIL - Operation Christmas Child is underway.

Every year Innisfail and the surrounding communities join others across Canada to help bring joy to needy children and families during the holiday season.

"Last year Innisfail and area gave 615 shoeboxes. We want to top that this year," said John Fehr, co-coordinator for Innisfail and area's Operation Christmas Child. "Most of these children have never had a gift in their lives and (many) haven't got a place to sleep. It would be nice if a person did something special for them," he added, noting comments he's heard about Alberta's hard economic times.

"It doesn't matter what kind of recession you're in, you're still not in the same boat as those kids."

He and his wife Dorothy have been coordinating the gift-giving tradition for Samaritan's Purse, the international Christian relief and development organization, in Innisfail for several years. That area includes Innisfail, Bowden, Spruce View and Elnora.

"We're working with churches, with schools and with business," said Fehr, noting the great response from area schools. "Schools have really stepped up this year."

The shoeboxes are distributed to the community every fall, are collected once they are full and then taken to Calgary following Operation Christmas Child's national collection week (Nov. 14 to 19), where they are shipped to various countries, including those in parts of Africa, Central and South America.

They are filled with personal hygiene items such as face cloths, hairbrushes, toothbrushes and soap, as well as gifts such as colouring books, crayons, small and stuffed toys, socks and T-shirts, noted Fehr, adding toothpaste and any type of candy are not permitted in the shoebox program.

Along with their gifts, people may include an optional $7 payment to help cover shipping costs.

"Another thing that is really, really appreciated by the kids is a note or a letter and a photo from the person giving the shoebox," said Fehr, adding giving the shoeboxes demonstrates the true meaning of Christmas. "It's about love and giving. It shows God's love," he said. "The children can see the person who loved them enough to (send) it."

This year they are holding a shoebox packing party on Nov. 12 at the church from 2 to 5 p.m.

"Everybody brings (small toys and other items) and then we pack shoeboxes together," said Fehr. "You can bring the whole family. We'd like to have all of Innisfail participate this year."

For more information contact John and Dorothy Fehr at 403-227-4676 or via email at [email protected] or visit http://samaritanspurse.ca/