Anyone in Chesterfield who wants to support the children’s charity project Operation Christmas Child is reminded that it is not too late to donate a gift-filled shoebox for this year’s campaign.
“We have launched an innovative website called Shoebox World,” explains Chris Witham, Operation Christmas Child Area Co-ordinator for Chesterfield, “which allows anyone who still wants to donate a shoebox to do so by going online at www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk/shoeboxworld. This allows them to choose the individual items to include, and add a personalised message and photo if they wish, which we then make up into a shoebox."
“November 18th was the last date for donors to hand in an actual shoebox to us and our volunteers are now busy checking and packing these ones for transportation and distribution to thousands of vulnerable children overseas.
“The shoeboxes created via Shoebox World will be sent out to a child living in Liberia, specifically to Lofa County in the north of the country.”
Lofa County experienced much of the worst fighting during the Liberian civil war of 1989 – 1996, with an estimated 30% of all child soldiers coming from the county. Since the end of the civil war, Lofa County has also been prone to more civic unrest than other parts of Liberia. Too many children here have had to grow up against a backdrop of poverty, violence and chaos, with too few
opportunities to just be kids. They’d really appreciate a shoebox of gifts.”
Online shoeboxes can be created from £11. Visitors can choose from a selection of toys, education supplies, hygiene accessories and other play items to add to their personalised shoebox. Volunteers then make up the shoebox as specified before sending it out to Lofa County, where it will be distributed by local partners to children aged 2 - 14.
Shoebox World will be taking orders from anyone living in the UK, or those with UK credit cards living abroad, up to and including Christmas Day.
Last year, around 500,000 children and adults from across the UK sent 1.12 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in 13 different countries around the world, including children affected by the earthquake in Haiti.
