ESTEVAN - Operation Christmas Child came to an end in Estevan on Sunday, with 708 shoeboxes packed by local people to support children in need around the world.
Jillian Ursu, who is the team lead for the Estevan Operation Christmas Child campaign, said that last few years they've seen an increase in online support with the charity. In that case, people virtually pack a shoebox and donate money to cover the expenses, and Samaritan's Purse volunteers pack a real box and send those out alongside others.
She pointed out that the 708 shoeboxes loaded on a truck at the Estevan Alliance Church on Sunday included only in-person donations, but, people from the Estevan area might have contributed even more.
"There's been a lot more online packing in the last couple of years ... especially with COVID. There's a lot of people who've been choosing to do that as an option," Ursu said.
Many people also chose to make a monetary donation to sponsor a box, which Ursu would pack on their behalf with some items she purchases locally throughout the year for the sake of the project.
Ursu said the last two years the numbers were on par, but lower than in pre-pandemic times, which is understandable. She's been a part of the project organized by Samaritan's Purse for about eight years, and she is always grateful to see people stepping up and helping others in need.
"I'm still super passionate about it every year and get excited about it. It's definitely something that brings more joy than anything else," Ursu said. "And it's nice to see how even in hard times, like COVID and the downturn of the oil and all that kind of stuff that we've had in our area, that we still have people who consistently pack.
“And I know the numbers have gone down, but there's a lot that has been going on, and there's so many people that are affected by COVID, and job loss and everything like that right now, so we're super thankful for the (over) 700 boxes that we have," Ursu said.
Some people pack one box, and other families may bring 10 or even more. Ursu said they appreciate any support, as it will make a kid somewhere in the world happier.
Ursu's family fills up 24 boxes every year, and as an expert with it, she advised those who may want to fill a box or a few next season to start acquiring items throughout the year during various sales.
All collected shoeboxes were packed into bigger boxes and at 4 p.m. on Sunday they were loaded onto a truck heading to Regina, where they get reloaded on a bigger truck. From there Estevan donations were transported to Calgary to the processing centre, where they get checked and sorted.
And then by plane, they go to different destinations to put a smile on kids' faces.
Shoeboxes packed in Estevan will be delivered to children in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea and Sierra Leone.
The parcels won't be delivered before Christmas, but packed with a good mixture of toys, educational items and necessities, they will definitely be a great gift to children at any time.
"It's called Operation Christmas Child because we do it on our end around Christmas, and the idea of the gift. Most places don't get them at Christmas time or before Christmas, but it is still a wonderful gift," Ursu said.
"There's usually quite the mix between those fun items and some of those necessities, which the kids also super appreciate. I've seen many videos with kids opening it up and being so excited to have a purple brush or toolsets. A lot of them have been doing toolsets and different things like that with the older boys, and that's been a real hit."
Shoeboxes are distributed as unconditional gifts, regardless of the child's race, religion or gender. The shoeboxes often open the door for Samaritan's Purse to work with the local community to identify and meet other vital needs like clean water, literacy, work training, school meals, etc.
