Packing shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child
Staff and residents at a Yeovil care home are working together to support Operation Christmas Child, a shoebox appeal run by international relief charity Samaritan’s Purse which provides a hands-on way for people to provide children in need across the world their very own shoebox of gifts for Christmas.
Gary Shackle, activities co-ordinator at Chestnut Lodge, has been personally involved with this project since 2010 and he motivated colleagues in his previous job as manager at a leisure centre to fill and despatch 150 to 200 boxes every year.
Gary said: “Operation Christmas Child offers us a wonderful way for our residents to send love and a small gift to children all around the world and our ladies and gents - as well as their families, friends and our staff - have really thrown themselves behind it.
“Our residents had such fun picking out what they wanted to send, and they really enjoyed helping to pack the shoeboxes.”
The gifts have been provided by Gary himself who accumulated them as part of regular collections he undertakes in support of a school in Rwanda.
Gary said: “I believe in giving to people less fortunate than ourselves, and it’s particularly lovely for our residents to have this connection with children at Christmas.
“The toys and goodies we’re gifting are things I have collected but been unable to deliver to the school in Rwanda recently and include items such as tennis balls, pens, toys, hair accessories and t-shirts.”
The project started in Wrexham in 1990 and has been run by Samaritans’ Purse since 1993. Each year over 1000 drop-off locations are open across the UK to receive shoeboxes full of gifts for children during National Collection Week, which this year is 10-17 November.
Collection points in Yeovil include The Entertainer and Yeovil Baptist Church. Full details of the scheme are available at www.samaritans-purse.org.uk
Chestnut Lodge is run by award-winning specialist dementia care providers Camelot Care who also operate homes in Bridgwater and Wellington in Somerset and Plymouth and Holsworthy in Devon.
