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Carla Hemingway, Community Relations Coordinator for Operation Christmas Child, says the official kickoff event takes place Friday, September 12 at 7 p.m.
She explains the evening will be a chance for the community to meet the new drop-off team lead, Michelle Alec, and to see the new drop-off location.
“Everyone knows the mall is closed, and I’m sure many people are wondering where their boxes go this year,” notes Hemingway. “So that’ll be Rock Christian Assembly at 125 4th Avenue Northeast. It used to be Solid Rock Ministries. It’s a large church just across the north side of the railroad tracks.”
What to pack
Operation Christmas Child invites people to fill shoeboxes with school supplies, hygiene items, and toys, which are then shipped to children around the world. Hemingway says each box is meant to be a tangible expression of love.
“Pack them with school supplies, hygiene items, a wow item like a stuffed animal and toys, and we send them to children in other countries with the opportunity to share the good news of Jesus Christ,” she says. “The box is a tangible expression of Jesus’ love for them.”
Certain items are not permitted.
“A few things that are not allowed are anything war-related, anything like camouflage, and nothing ingestible. That means no candy, no food, and even toothpaste is not allowed,” adds Hemingway. “And new this year, no more soap. That’s a strange one, but it is considered in other countries an ingestible. It goes through the skin, so it still gets hung up at customs. So, if it’s already in your box, we’ll send it, but after this year, it won’t pass.”
She continues with suggestions for useful items.
“A toothbrush, a comb, face cloth; those things are great. School supplies are wonderful. Any type of a bag, those really thin drawstring bags are great because it fits in a shoebox. And then everything from the shoebox can fit in it afterwards for them to carry in the future. And a stuffy, a toy, things, tiny yo-yos are very popular. Crank radios are good. Flashlights are really cool too.”
Local and global impact
Hemingway says last year Portage la Prairie contributed just under 1,700 shoeboxes, while the Manitoba total reached about 31,000. Worldwide, almost 12 million were collected.
“In Canada, we were just around the 500,000 this past year, and we do have a large goal of a million,” says Hemingway. “Someday we hope to get there. If it’s this year, great. If not, that’s okay. Our goal for Portage this year is 2,000.”
She adds that growing interest makes that number achievable.
“I have seen a lot of growth and interest over the last few months, and having new groups and churches on board and individuals hearing more about it,” Hemingway notes. “I think we can do 2,000 this year.”
Canadian shoeboxes are sent to countries including El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Cape Verde, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Ukraine, and the Philippines. Hemingway explains that while destinations vary by country, the program reaches more than 100 nations each year.
More ways to give
For those who cannot pack a box in person, Hemingway says there is an online option.
“You can always pack a shoebox online if you’re not interested or have time or ability, whatever,” she says. “If you like to just point and click, you can go on to the Operation Christmas Child Canada website and pack shoeboxes online as well.”
Hemingway and her family have been involved for decades.
“I’ve been a year-round volunteer, I think between 8 and 10 years, quite a while,” she adds. “And then my family and I have been packing shoeboxes since the very beginning. It’s been about 30 years. So this is just a family love as well.”
She continues that each shoebox donation comes with an optional $12 contribution.
“The $12 suggested donation that goes with each box is used for the expenses of collecting the boxes, processing them,” Hemingway says. “Also, every single box is accompanied by the Greatest Gift Gospel booklet, a beautiful, bright booklet sharing the gospel with every child in their own language. It also goes towards training folks in the local churches to teach the 12-class discipleship program that is offered after they receive a shoebox, and to ship the boxes to over 100 different countries. So that $12 goes a long way.”
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