Children across the globe are feeling the impact of Swift Current generosity, thanks to Operation Christmas Child.  

Through the non-profit campaign, 2,506 shoeboxes filled with toys, hygiene items, school supplies, and more, were donated out of the city in 2022. 

Frank King, the news media relations manager for Samaritan’s Purse Canada, said that last year’s donations surpassed the 2021 number by more than 1,000 boxes for a total of 415,072. 

“Thousands of volunteers inspect every single shoe box to make sure there's nothing inside that could scare or harm a child or stop the boxes from getting through customs,” he said. “After that, they are packed into cartons and they are shipped down to countries in Central America, French-speaking West Africa, and new this year, the Philippines, and most exciting, Ukraine.” 

Once the boxes arrive to their destinations, volunteer teams hand them out through distribution events held at partnering churches.  

While the name of the initiative is Operation Christmas Child, donations are accepted year-round through their website.  

“It can be the middle of an August sweltering heat wave, and if something puts on your heart to go out there and help some children in need, you can,” he said.  

King added that for some children, an Operation Christmas Child shoebox is the first gift they’ve received.    

“Especially at this time with all the economic challenges with this rampant inflation and shortages and coming out of the pandemic,” he said. “Oh my goodness, it's very heartwarming for us when we see folks in Swift Current and Saskatchewan and Canada coming forward like this to help children who, as they say, have in many cases never received a gift in their lives.”