Canadians can keep blessing hurting children through Operation Christmas Child

Pack shoeboxes online at PackaBox.ca or drop off boxes at Greyhound locations

CALGARY, Nov. 25, 2016 /CNW/ - National Collection Week for Samaritan's Purse's Operation Christmas Child program has come and gone, but there are helpful options available for Canadians who still want to pack gift-filled shoeboxes for hurting children in developing nations.

1. Drop off your packed shoeboxes at any Greyhound station and they will be shipped to one of our processing centers free of charge. Please call 1-800-303-1269 to find out the nearest Greyhound location.
2. Canadians in southwestern Ontario and southern Alberta can drop off shoeboxes at our processing centers up to Dec. 10. The southwestern Ontario center is at 530 Manitou Dr. in Kitchener. The southern Alberta processing center is at 20 Hopewell Way NE in Calgary.
3. Pack and send shoeboxes online at PackaBox.ca.

People who choose the online method to fill shoeboxes can decide whether they want their boxes to go to boys or girls. Next, they can choose the age range: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14. Based on those choices, a grouping of age- and gender-appropriate gift items will be packed into each box. The donor can also choose among a menu of other items, and further personalize their boxes by adding a photo and note.

"We hear from the children and their families who receive the shoeboxes how meaningful the photo and personal message are," said Fred Weiss, Executive Director of Samaritan's Purse Canada, of which Operation Christmas Child is a key annual project. "Many people have told us how the photos, messages, and the gifts brought them hope and reminded them they were not forgotten—that someone is thinking about them and praying for them."

Canadians went online to fill more than 9,000 with gifts via PackaBox.ca during the 2015 shoebox season—which totaled over 730,000 shoeboxes, including all of those packed the traditional way. Each one was an opportunity to share the love and hope of Jesus Christ with children in the developing world.

News Media Questions
What are the most popular items in shoeboxes? How do shoeboxes travel from Canadian processing centers to children in the developing world? Which countries receive Canadian shoeboxes? When are shoeboxes distributed—right after Christmas? What happens after Canadians pack shoeboxes online? For answers to these questions and more, from a national Operation Christmas Child representative or a representative in your region, please contact:

Frank King
News Media Relations Manager
Samaritan's Purse Canada
[e-mail]
1.800.663.6500 or (cell) 403.990.0161

About Samaritan's Purse Canada
Samaritan's Purse is a Christian relief and development organization that takes its name from Jesus Christ's biblical story of the Good Samaritan. Like that Good Samaritan, who found a beaten man and helped restore him, we aid victims of war, disease, disaster, poverty, famine, and persecution. Our other initiatives include providing safe water, literacy skills, vocational training and more for people in the developing world. Learn more at SamaritansPurse.ca.

SOURCE Samaritan's Purse Canada

For further information: Frank King, News Media Relations Manager, Samaritan's Purse Canada, [e-mail], 1.800.663.6500 or (cell) 403.990.0161