Image courtesy of Samaritan's Purse Canada

By Connor Gunn

Lethbridge gives over 2,000 shoeboxes to children in need

Feb 7, 2022 | 11:22 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – Residents in Lethbridge helped pack over 2,000 shoeboxes for El Salvador children in need during the 2021 Operation Christmas Child shoebox campaign.

Province-wide, Alberta residents packed 80,121 shoeboxes in 2021, and in Lethbridge, 2,335 were given to children in El Salvador.

Samaritan’s Purse Canada’s release states there was an increase of seven per cent from the 2020 campaign, which saw 74,791 shoes become boxed.

Canada-wide, 413,875 shoeboxes were filled with toys, hygiene items, school supplies, and more as part of a worldwide total of 10.5 million collected in Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Spain, Finland, South Korea, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Australia, and New Zealand.

Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse says the hope for the campaign is to give back to those in need.

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“In a year filled with uncertainty, we praise God for the opportunity to continue reaching children around the world with gift-filled shoeboxes that bring so much joy.”

“These gifts provide a tangible expression of love and open doors for sharing the life-changing hope of Jesus Christ.”

Since 2009, more than 23 million children have participated in the program. Every child who graduates is given a New Testament in their language.

The following was given as background information on the various programs.

Year-Round Option: Thousands of Canadians are taking advantage of Operation Christmas Child’s internet option that enables them to pack shoeboxes all year round at PackaBox.ca. Canadians can choose shoebox gift items while also uploading personal notes and photos. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and hand-delivered almost 200 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in over 170 countries hurt by war, poverty, natural disaster, disease, and famine.

Samaritan’s Purse Canada: Operation Christmas Child is a program of Samaritan’s Purse Canada, 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. Besides Operation Christmas Child, our initiatives include providing safe water, vocational skills, and agricultural supplies and training to families in the developing world. Learn more at SamaritansPurse.ca.

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