For the fifth year, David Wilson Homes is opening its Sales and Marketing Suites across the south east for international relief organisation Samaritan’s Purse’s Operation Christmas Child initiative. Applegate Park, located on Wises Lane in Borden village, will be open to collect donations of gift-filled shoeboxes from Sittingbourne residents between Wednesday 1st and Monday 20th November, where they will then be processed by volunteers and shipped to children in need across the world.
Operation Christmas Child is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, having been a great success since 1993. The initiative has helped more than 208 million children between two and 14 years old in 160 countries and territories receive an Operation Christmas Child shoebox.
Residents can visit the Applegate Park Sales and Marketing Suite either on Mondays between 12:30-17:30 or Thursdays through to Sundays 10:00-17:30 to drop off their filled shoebox. Alongside their shoebox, residents will need to donate £5 to cover project costs including shipping. A selection of recommendations has been made by the charity for presents to be included in the shoeboxes such as toys, small musical instruments, yo-yos, skipping ropes and small puzzles to school supplies including pens, crayons, pencils and sharpeners, writing pads and colouring/picture books.
Natalie Perry, Director of Sales & Marketing at David Wilson Kent, comments: “Over the past five years, we have worked with Operation Christmas Child to collect as many shoeboxes as possible, and with a total of eight of our developments signed up this year, we expect it to be one of the best! Even the inclusion of simple items in these shoeboxes brighten a child’s Christmas so we are proud to continue opening our sales suites as drop-off points across Kent this year, especially as Operation Christmas Child is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Please do drop by with a shoebox, and we look forward to getting these shipped to those who need them most.”
Nick Cole, Director of Operation Christmas Child UK, comments: “We’re excited at the fantastic opportunity to partner again with David Wilson Kent to send even more shoebox gifts to children in need this year. Every shoebox packed is a huge blessing to the child who receives it, and you never know how that simple gift can change a life. We hear so many stories of how children are deeply encouraged by realising they’re loved and not forgotten as they receive their shoebox gifts.”
Guidelines for the shoeboxes from the Samaritan’s Purse are as follows:
• Select the gender and age group of the intended recipient.
• Fill the box with gifts and wrap the box and lid separately with festive wrapping paper.
• Purchase, print and attach the delivery label to the top of the shoebox.
Hygiene items such as toothbrushes, bars of wrapped soap, combs or hairbrushes and flannels are also suggested for inclusion. However, due to import/export restrictions, toothpaste, sweets, lotions and liquids are prohibited alongside used or damaged items, war-related items, religious or political literature, medicines, aerosol cans and sharp or fragile items.
For further details on Operation Christmas Child, please visit, samaritans-purse.org.uk/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child