Living Faith Christian Church was a hub of activity leading up to the Santa Claus parade on Saturday, with volunteers busy wrapping up shoeboxes for children in need around the world.
Operation Christmas Child is an international non-profit organization that fills shoeboxes with toys, hygiene items, school supplies, and other items to be distributed to children living in desperate situations.
Debbie Yaniw does community outreach for Operation Christmas Child’s Collingwood area branch.
“This is the third year I’ve done this,” said Yaniw, adding that the first year she was inspired to join the cause after hearing a story from one of the previous volunteers who had travelled to Mexico to deliver the boxes.
“She met a nine-year-old girl who had never held a crayon,” said Yaniw. “I bawled. It just broke my heart. I can pack a shoebox, or I can huddle everyone together and get 50 or 100 shoeboxes and it will help more people.”
Boxes are filled with items from donations, or are purchased through monetary donations made to the charity. Yaniw runs a few fundraisers throughout the year in order to afford the items to fill the boxes. Boxes are labelled for boys or girls, and in different age groups.
“We just pack them with small gifts and lifestyle essentials, and they get sent all around the world to children who have, essentially, nothing,” said Yaniw. “They don’t get any gifts. Some don’t even have a toothbrush.”
About five adult volunteers participated in the shoebox packing party on Saturday, as well as some youth and child volunteers.
For more information on Operation Christmas Child, click here.
