For the 26th consecutive year, Peggy Bendell is the local coordinator for Operation Christmas Child. The initiative operated by Samaritan’s Purse collects and distributes shoe boxes full of new items to needy kids in various parts of the world.
In her first 25 years, she and her army of volunteers have collected more than 30,000 shoe boxes in Timmins
Bendell notes that because of the pandemic, she can’t have community groups helping out this year.
“Five different businesses have cheerfully jumped in again,” she reports. “They are very happy to be able to help by having the shoe boxes there and the brochures so people can go pick them up.”
The brochures outline the new items allowed in them, to send to kids in six poor countries.
“For a lot of these children” Bendell remarks, “having a notebook and a pencil gives them permission to go to school.”
The local deadline is November 22nd. Bendell hopes that families fill the boxes.
“Do this together,” she suggests. “Help the kids to realize, and even ourselves realize that we have a lot more to be thankful for than we realize in these Covid days.”
PICK-UP/DROP-OFF LOCATIONS
Customer Service Desk at Timmins Square
Staples
Jorie’s at Pine & Third
Schumacher Post Office
Peggy Bendell’s home – 602 Division St., Porcupine
Another option is do a shoe box online: https://packabox.samaritanspurse.ca/