November 2008 Charity-of-the-Month

Charity: Samaritan’s Purse Program: Shoe Boxes full of Love

You Pack a Shoe Box, They Unpack Joy, Hope and Love

During this month, the ClearView staff will be participating in the Shoe Boxes Full of Love program sponsored by Samaritan’s Purse.

Every year, individuals from Canada and other countries pack gift-filled shoe boxes which are distributed to millions of needy children and families around the world—including Africa, South America, Asia, and around the world.

“This is for me, only for me!”

Imagine the joy that these shoe boxes bring to children like Melanie in Argentina, a girl who had been taken from her mother, whose physical and mental disabilities prevented her from caring for Melanie and her brother properly.

At first, Melanie kept her box tucked snugly under her arm. She wouldn’t let it leave her sight. She even slept with it. But then, eyes bright and smile stretching from ear to ear, she finally opened it to find one treasure after another: a coloring book, toys, a toothbrush, a notepad, pencils and sharpener, candy, and more.

“This is my favorite” she said, holding up a drawing set. “This is for me, only for me!” You could see, in her face, the sense of abandonment and fear begin to fade, and hope begin to return.

What This Does…And What You Can Do

These Shoe Boxes not only bring joy to millions of needy and at-risk children, they also spread a spirit of peace and good will and hope from country to country—the hope that comes from the realization that we’re all in this together and that people do care.

If you would like to send one or more Shoe Boxes of your own, simply go to http://www.samaritanspurse.ca/ and click on Shoe Boxes full of Love. They provide the details, including suggestions for what to put in your Shoe Box and where to drop it off.