Chestermere helped Alberta pack 7 per cent of Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes this year through Samaritan’s Purse Canada.
Calgary and Chestermere packed a total of 17,681 boxes, and Strathmore packed 682 boxes for children in need. Canada in total packed more than 413,000 gift-filled boxes, a Samaritan’s Purse media release said.
In 2021, Albertans packed 80,121 shoeboxes, which is an increase from 2020’s 74,791 total.
The boxes were packed with toys, hygiene items, and school supplies.
In 2021, many of the boxes were packed online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The distribution of the shoeboxes has already begun, with children in Central America and western Africa receiving shoeboxes packed by Canadians.
“In a year filled with uncertainty, we continue reaching children around the world with gift-filled shoeboxes that bring so much joy,” president of Samaritan’s Purse Franklin Graham said in the release. “These gifts provide a tangible expression of love and open doors for sharing.”
Operation Christmas Child is a program ofSamaritan’s Purse Canada that began in 1993, and since has collected and delivered nearly 200 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in over 170 countries impacted by war, poverty, natural disaster, disease, and famine.
