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Christmas Shoeboxes help children think outside the square

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July 8, 2025

Filling shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child.

With mid-winter Christmas parties now happening, Robyn Balfour’s thoughts are turning to shoeboxes – specifically, boxes for Operation Christmas Child.

Samaritan’s Purse is the Christian charity that takes Christmas boxes throughout the world to a huge number of children who, due to third world poverty or remote locations would otherwise receive no Christmas presents.

300 Christmas Boxes from Coromandel Peninsula

Last year an astounding total of almost twelve million boxes were distributed to children around the globe, 300 of which came from the Coromandel Peninsula.

The boxes are distributed through Christmas parties. The whole community is invited to the party, and every child gets a box.

Robyn is the local co-ordinator for Operation Christmas Child and she wants to remind people that the school holidays are a good time to get our youngsters involved in thinking of those in poorer countries. She wants to encourage families to take the children shopping for the little gifts that can bring so much joy to others who have almost nothing to call their own.

“Children love shopping for the boxes, and it teaches them to spare a thought for those less fortunate,” says Robyn.

Quantities of empty shoeboxes are now available from St Patrick’s Catholic, St Peter’s Anglican, Whitianga Baptist, Crossroad Church and St Andrew’s Church and Opshop. Recommendations about the toys and essentials that are so much appreciated are included in the boxes.

Drop off points for filled boxes:

Whitianga: Coghill Café, Whitianga Hardware, St Peter’s and St Andrew’s.

Pauanui: The collection point is Pauanui Information Centre.

Tairua: Contact Anna 021 0378 371

Whangamata: Contact Doreen 021 159 5855

All boxes must be returned by mid-October.