OLDS — Volunteers at the First Baptist Church in Olds collected and sent out a total of 1,056 containers for the Operation Christmas Child shoebox collection campaign, down from last year when 1,137 were sent.
The Operation Christmas Child shoebox collection campaign is organized by Samaritan's Purse, a Christian relief and development organization.
In each container are shoeboxes. Each shoebox is filled with hygiene items, school supplies, toys and candy, given to children regardless of gender, race or religion.
On the heels of the shoebox distributions, local churches, etc., deliver a Bible study course.
The boxes are sorted in Calgary to make sure they’re safe for kids and ready to clear customs. The plan is to distribute them throughout 2025.
The countries that will be receiving Canadian shoeboxes this year are El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Cape Verde, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Ukraine, and the Philippines, Operation Christmas Child area coordinator Julie Quantz says.
The Albertan asked Quantz why the number of containers was lower this year than last year.
In an email, Quantz said she had "no idea" why.
She said Olds Koinonia Christian School packed 264, up from 261 last year.
"We have a lady in our church, Christina, who is 88 and she's been faithfully packing for years. She said she could 'only' do 100 this year," Quantz said.
Quantz said the average cost of a full box is $30 to $40. She theorized that maybe the numbers are down because, due to the tight economy, some people just don't have the extra income for projects like Operation Christmas Child.
"It could also be the cost of the items that go into the box; maybe folks aren't packing as many as they have in the past (ie: only packing one box instead of two)," she wrote.
"The needs in the community continue to rise, too, and there are many charities that are asking for help. In the past, people have said to me that they'd rather support a local cause than send their gift overseas," she added.
Quantz said it's not too late to pack a shoebox. Those who wish to pack a shoebox can do so online, using the link Online Shoebox Packing.
