• Call to Remember the Children of Haiti

Call to Remember the Children of Haiti

Special Project To Take 15,000 Shoebox Gifts To Earthquake Victims

Samaritan’s Purse, organisers of the annual charity campaign Operation Christmas Child, are calling on individuals, families, schools, churches, community groups and businesses across Ireland, to help them realise a special goal of sending 15,000 gift-filled shoeboxes to the children in Haiti who have been affected by the earthquake which struck there on January 12th this year. The 15,000 shoeboxes targeted for Haiti - two containers worth - is in addition to the charity’s annual collection, where thousands of shoeboxes are sent from Ireland at Christmas time to disadvantaged children in a dozen countries overseas.

Operation Christmas Child Project Manager, Martin Shotbolt, comments:

"Sadly, the scale of damage and long-term impact of the 7.0 earthquake has begun to fade from some people's minds. In many ways this is understandable, as we have seen more recent natural disasters devastate other communities, particularly the floods in Pakistan and mudslides in China.

"However, Samaritan's Purse has had teams of people on the ground in Haiti since the day after the earthquake and we are only too aware of the on-going effect this is having on children and families. This is why we have decided to make an appeal to the Irish public to consider giving an extra shoebox this year for a child in Haiti. We have set a target of 15,000 additional shoeboxes and will be doing all we can to achieve this, supported by the kindness and generosity of people across the country.

"Samaritan's Purse continues to work tirelessly to supply medical assistance and water purification units, to improve hygiene and provide shelter for thousands of families still struggling in Haiti, but we also know the psychological boost the gift of a simple shoebox can give, and the very real difference this can make in the lives of children at a time of continuing hardship.

"It’s quite a challenge, but I believe that we can do it, as the kindness of those who donate shoeboxes never fails to humble us. I wish that everyone could see the sheer joy that a shoebox filled with simple gifts brings to a child who often has nothing of their own."

Operation Christmas Child makes it possible for children, who are selected on the basis of need alone, to unconditionally receive the gift of a shoebox, filled with gifts and packed with love. Many children receiving shoeboxes this year will have been abandoned by their parents or will have been removed from abusive situations by the authorities. They may be ill, or living in poverty or squalid conditions.

"In Haiti, we are dealing with children who have been orphaned, or separated from parents and families in the aftermath of the earthquake. Today, these children are still living in makeshift shelters, almost eight months after the disaster and this is their lot for months or years to come, despite continuing efforts to improve conditions. The scale of the challenge remains huge."

Operation Christmas Child – one of Ireland’s largest annual children charity projects – will be accepting shoeboxes for both the Haiti project and its annual campaign up until November 18th, after which time onward transportation and final distribution takes place – all for which a 3 Euro contribution which is requested to help cover costs. After October 2nd people packing shoeboxes can visit the Samaritan’s Purse website - www.samaritanspurse.ie, and click on 'Where to take your boxes' to find the nearest drop-off point for people to take their shoeboxes. The website also gives details of recommended items to put in a shoebox. Alternatively, people can call the Helpline on 0857 299824, or email information@samaritanspurse.ie.

Notes: In 2009 donors in Ireland provided Operation Christmas Child with gift-filled shoeboxes which were sent to children in Armenia, Belarus, Burundi, Croatia, Kosovo, Lesotho, Moldova/Transinistria, Nepal, Romania, Swaziland and Ukraine. Operation Christmas Child is the largest annual project run by Samaritan’s Purse, the evangelical Christian humanitarian aid charity.