The "avalanche" of Christmas Shoeboxes needed an army of volunteers to send them off. From left: Colin Nashkewa, Travis Linde, Brandan Jackson, Joyce Scammell, Donna Nashkewa-Jackson, Jeff Jackson, and Carrie Young (right) in front of drop-off centre, Shoreline Baptist Church, in Port Elgin November 18.

Hub Staff

And they’re off. Over 3,000 shoeboxes from Bruce County began their journey November 18 to reach their final destination, children in need in time for the holidays.

Locally 2,077 boxes were stuffed to the brim with toys and essential items for children around the world. The boxes, which come from Operation Christmas Child, a program run by humanitarian aid organization Samaritan’s Purse, will go to children in countries such as Costa Rica, El Salvador, Haiti, Uruguay, Chile, Venezuela, Guinea, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and the Ukraine.

Area organizer, Joyce Scammell wanted to thank local businesses Kelly Green, 98 The Beach, the Salvation Army, Hampton Court, Square Deal Neil’s, TD Bank, South Stables Coffee House, Saugeen First Nation Library, and others, for collecting shoeboxes and filling donation jars.

Scammell said donations will help alleviate shipping costs and that overall shoeboxes and donations were up this year. She believed the reason was because people are aware of the “hurt” around the world through war, weather, and hard conditions. Scammell would also like to thank Port Elgin Home Hardware for providing a forklift and Erb Transport which helped move the “avalanche” of boxes.