For nearly 30 years, Canadians have been packing shoeboxes filled with toys, hygiene items, and school supplies as part of Operation Christmas Child, a program of Samaritan’s Purse — a Christian relief organization dedicated to helping those in need around the world.
Regional Manager Lynette Loewen oversees a vast territory including Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Northwestern Ontario, and Nunavut. She explained with a smile, “I connect with people [in Nunavut] all the time, but I haven’t had the privilege to go there... Someday.”
More than just a shoebox
Samaritan’s Purse operates in several branches: providing clean water, disaster relief, and delivering shoebox gifts to children in need. “We are a Christian… charity... and we really want to focus on helping people,” said Loewen. “We have different branches. We do water projects… we have a disaster relief… and of course, Operation Christmas Child is another branch where we focus on children.”
These small boxes packed by local donors are far more than just gifts — they’re tools for hope and transformation. “It’s a privilege to pack a shoebox. It’s a privilege to have just a little something that I can do locally where I live and to be a part of something so huge,” Loewen said. “It also impacts their family, their country, their village or their city… and it’s opening doors in incredible ways.”
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A toothbrush can change a life
Some items that may seem ordinary to Canadians — like a toothbrush — can have a profound impact. “The most exciting thing they receive in their boxes [is often] a toothbrush because they don’t have to share the one that their family shared,” she recalled. “In Senegal… they take a piece of little bamboo and that’s what they clean their teeth with.”
Loewen also emphasized the logistics and long-term impact of the shoebox program. When the war in Ukraine broke out, the organization was able to mobilize quickly because of existing infrastructure. “Because of our shoeboxes, we already had a logistical network there… If we didn’t do the shoeboxes, we would not have been able to help the Ukrainians in need. And we're still helping them. And that's such a beautiful thing.”
Disaster response medical tents
Samaritan’s Purse Canada now also manages a “massive” disaster response medical tent, one of only two in the world. “We sent doctors and nurses, and accountants to deal with the donations… and we were able to just land and set up… and to do emergency surgeries,” Loewen said. “It’s not just, ‘Hey, let’s go in and pray with people,’ but we were able to physically help them.”
Not just at Christmas
Contrary to popular belief, the shoeboxes aren’t always delivered at Christmas. “We collect in November… then we process the boxes in Calgary and Ontario… and then we deploy those boxes overseas,” said Loewen. “Canada sends to Western African countries and Central America. We’re sending to the Philippines now, and of course the Ukraine.”
A new milestone was reached recently when Cape Verde received shoeboxes for the first time. “This is the first time that Cape Verde will ever receive a shoebox… there are children there who’ve never heard about Jesus… who are in desperate need of hope and joy in their lives.”
A story from Central America
The impact goes beyond individual children. Loewen shared a powerful story from Central America: “One of our local partners… was actually asked to meet the President of the country… and he said, ‘I invited you here to say thank you. I have been following the work… and we have noticed a significant… change in the amount of crime… there’s less crime where you are handing out shoeboxes… you are pouring into the young people of our country.’”
For those who pack these boxes, Loewen wants them to understand the significance. “They’re saving families and making countries better… lower crime rates… that’s amazing.”
Building relationships
The organization also offers ongoing programs like The Greatest Journey, which allows children to learn and grow in their faith and education after receiving a shoebox. “It’s not just a one-and-done kind of a thing… we are in and we are building those relationships and we’re growing networks.”
In one village in Western Africa, shoeboxes were distributed under a tree because there were no buildings. “They met under a tree… to hear stories and to be a part of that,” said Loewen. “And the cool thing is, is that we built such an incredible relationship that we said, we’re going to build you a building. And so, Samaritan’s Purse was able to go in.”
From toothbrushes to buildings, Samaritan’s Purse continues to bring tangible and lasting change — one box at a time. Learn more here.
- With files from Jayme Giesbrecht
