INNISFAIL – This is the time of year National Collection Week arrives to help the less fortunate.
From Nov. 15 to 21 more than 4,000 drop-off locations for Operation Christmas Child are open across the country.
And Innisfail’s Alliance Church is one of them, which is a source of pride of lead pastor Jonathan Klein.
“We are like the hub pick-up place for Innisfail. If citizens have boxes, they want to get delivered to the warehouse in Calgary they can drop them off and we will take care to making sure they get to the warehouse in Calgary,” said Klein. “Operation Christmas Child will bring a truck and pick up all things. We are a drop-off spot."
“We have boxes for people to take home and fill up,” he added. “We also have people from our congregation who will be at the church so people can drop off boxes there.”
Operation Christmas Child is an annual initiative of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief organization that has collected and distributed more than 187 million shoebox gifts in more than 100 countries.
Last year, Canadians filled more than 373,000 shoeboxes with gifts, as well as donating at least $10 per shoebox to cover shipping and program costs, to help struggling children in West Africa and Central America.
Klein said his congregation was fully briefed on their church’s involvement in late October, and there has been a “very good response.
“The congregation has been excellent because for five or six days we need people to fill certain spots to be at the church for this pick-up, and we’ve already filled those spots for volunteers,” he said.
Klein noted citizens wanting to fill a shoebox can pick an age for a girl or a boy, which include those between the ages of two and four, or five to nine or 10 to 14. The suggestion for what to put in a shoebox includes a quality “wow” toy such as a doll, soccer ball with pump, or stuffed animal, and then adding other fun toys, non-liquid hygiene items, accessories, such as t-shirts, socks, hats, watches, and school supplies, like pencils and scribblers.
“Many of these kids get nothing for Christmas, so this is a pretty sweet gift for them to get something,” said Klein. “It can be a fun thing. I know lots of youth and school groups or clubs have done this with children and teens, and go shopping and they put together these shoe boxes.”
Any citizen in town wanting to support Operation Christmas Child can make a shoebox drop-off at the Innisfail Alliance Church from Nov. 15 to 21. The hours for Monday, Tuesday and Thursday are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Wednesday and Friday, drop-offs can be made from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Anyone who feels uncomfortable entering the church building a volunteer can meet them outside for curbside pick-up.
If any citizen has questions, they can call the Innisfail Alliance Church at 403-227-6655.
For more information on Operation Christmas Child visit www.samaritanspurse.ca
