The deadline for Canadians to pack and drop off gift-filled Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes is drawing near.

Shoebox collection centres across the country will shut down on Sunday, November 24, as they prepare to organize and process the thousands of boxes collected.

Tens of thousands of Canadians are already packing boxes. They begin by choosing whether a shoebox will be for a boy or a girl, then decide on one of the three age ranges (2-4, 5-9, or 10-14). Boxes ideally contain school supplies, hygiene items, toys, and perhaps a clothing item, plus a suggested $10 donation per box for shipping and other project costs. Often donors also include personal notes and photos of their family that children will treasure.

This year’s shoebox campaign began on Oct. 15 and has seen volunteers and supporters all across Canada hosting and attending shoebox packing parties; school-, church-, and club-led initiatives; and even Operation Christmas Child-themed birthday parties.

“When Canadians pack Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts, they let children in need know that they are not forgotten and, most importantly, that God loves them,” said Fred Weiss, Samaritan’s Purse Canada’s executive director.

In 2018, Canadians filled more than 517,000 Operation Christmas child shoeboxes for children in Central America and West Africa. Since the start of their program in 1993, Samaritan's Purse has given shoeboxes to more than 167 million children in over 130 countries.

CHVN will once again be live on location at St. Vital Centre in Winnipeg collecting your shoeboxes. We will be set up in the food hall from November 20-23. 

The record for most-ever collected shoeboxes is 2,654. Over the last two years, we have been very close to beating that record and would love for you to help us make 2019 the year it falls!