On Sunday, October 17, Westheights Church kicked off our Operation Christmas Child (OCC) shoebox campaign. 110 plastic and cardboard shoeboxes were provided to the congregation, and we were thrilled to see them all disappear. Fill these boxes with a balance of much-needed practical items as well as toys and other gifts, and they will be shipped to the children of Haiti. Nine months after the devastating earthquake hit Haiti, cleanup and rebuilding efforts remain far from completion, and children are still homeless and will be without comfort this Christmas. Let’s make a small difference and bring some joy to their lives.
This is how Operation Christmas Child works.
SELECT A SHOEBOX: Use a regular-sized shoe box or pliable plastic box. If wrapping your shoe box, please wrap the lid separately.
FILL YOUR SHOEBOX: Determine whether your gift will be for a boy or a girl, and the child’s age category: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14. Fill your shoe box with a well-balanced variety of items from the following categories:
- School Supplies – Pencils, pens, pencil sharpeners, eraser, pencil crayons, note pads, and picture books
- Toys & Other Gifts – Items such as stuffed animals, a doll, musical instruments, balls, stickers, colouring books, hair clips, toy jewelry, t-shirts, socks, yo-yos, jump rope, and candy (individually wrapped hard candy in a sealable bag). No battery-operated items, please
- Hygiene Items – Toothbrushes, combs, face cloths, plastic cup, etc. Place bar soap in a sealable bag
- Personal Note – Include a personal note and/or a photo in your shoe box (not inside the donation envelope)
Do NOT include:
- Used items (due to customs regulations)
- Toothpaste (due to customs regulations)
- Food and any chewy, crumbly, or soft candy or chocolate—Including gum (due to customs regulations). Put individually wrapped hard candies in a sealable bag
- Playing cards
- Liquids or items that could leak, melt, freeze, or break–Shampoo, creams, lip balm, bath gels, mirrors, or glass, etc. (can damage other items in box)
- Items that can scare or harm a child–War-related toys, knives, toy guns, etc
MAKE YOUR DONATION
Please donate a minimum of $7 for each shoe box you prepare to help cover project costs, including shipping. Simply place a cheque (made out to “Samaritan’s Purse”) or cash donation in an envelope inside your shoe box. Tax deductible receipts will be issued for donations of $15 or more. Samaritan’s Purse does not provide receipts for the value of gift items included in a shoebox.
RETURN YOUR BOX TO WESTHEIGHTS CHURCH BY SUNDAY, NOV 14, 2010
HAVE YOU…
– Attached a label and checked off an age group. Click here for a label for a girl, or here for a label for a boy
– Enclosed a donation to cover project and shipping costs
– Wrapped an elastic band to secure the lid