Christmas is fast approaching and the Samaritan’s Purse charity is running its annual Operation Christmas Child initiative again in 2016.
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The initiative is all about people filling a shoebox with donations for children living in poverty around the world.
People can fill shoeboxes with gifts for boys or girls in four age groups.
In 2015, Operation Christmas Child shipped a record 342,814 shoeboxes to children in 7 countries.
Samaritan’s Purse area co-ordinator Ann Rohde said all the donations made a big difference in the lives of the children.
“When a child opens a shoebox, they are opening more than a present,” she said.
“They are opening up a world of life-changing opportunities.”
There are six categories of gifts and at least one item from each category should go into a shoebox:
- Something for hygiene like a toothbrush, soap or face washer;
- Perhaps something for school like coloured pencils, pencils, pens, a ruler, an eraser, a sharpener and or notepads;
- Something to wear such as a hat, cap, t-shirt, shorts, skirt or sandals;
- A toy to play with like a skipping rope, a tennis ball, puzzles, or a yo-yo;
- Something to love such as a teddy or soft toy; and
- Something special like a pair of sunglasses, a carry bag, stickers or a craft kit.
Ms Rohde said brochures and preprinted shoeboxes were available from Peter Fleming at the Ararat Community Church on Wednesdays from 9am-2pm or Sundays 9am-10.30am.
Ms Rohde said for more information people could contact her on 5381 2180.