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SHOEBOXES GIVE LASTING PLEASURE
Bath Chronicle, UK
December 5, 2006 Tuesday
More than 8,000 gift-filled shoe boxes are on their way to Eastern
Europe from Bath district which is a new record.
Once more, the generous people of Bath and the neighbouring towns
and villages in BA3, have donated a record number of gift-filled
shoe boxes for the Samaritan's Purse project and Operation Christmas
Child. Some 5,700 boxes have been processed in Bath during the past
three weekends of November, packed into cartons and sent on their
way to needy children in Eastern Europe.
In addition, more than 2,300 shoe boxes have been taken directly to
the area warehouse in Melksham for processing and dispatch, making
an amazing total of more than 8,000.
The area shoe box appeal was launched in June at Bath Abbey by the
Mayor of Bath, Cllr Mrs Carol Paradise, and we are grateful for
her enthusiastic support which has been matched by so many people
throughout the city and beyond.
Most of our shoe boxes are already on their way in containers or
lorries to Armenia, Serbia and Ukraine, with the remainder expected
to go to Bosnia-Herzegovina and Romania very soon. Each of the boxes
will be hand-delivered to children in orphanages, hospitals or poor
communities, irrespective of faith or race.
Sincere thanks are due to everyone who filled a shoe box with such
care, or gave extra gifts, and to the many local knitters, who
throughout the year, have made hundreds of beautiful hats, mittens,
scarves and puppets to delight the children.
We have had great support from the staff of local shoe shops who have
saved shoe boxes for us and from the many churches and businesses
that have acted as drop-off points for the shoe boxes, around the
city and in Radstock, Midsomer Norton and Wellow.
In particular, we should like to thank Oldfield Park Methodist
Church, and St Luke's Church in Bath, for providing the venues for
the processing weekends.
A team of 12 volunteer drivers have picked up shoe boxes throughout
our district and taken them to the processing centres, where over
the three weekends, nearly 100 volunteers have worked very hard,
but very happily, checking, taping and packing the 5,700 shoe boxes
- thank you all so much, it really has been a wonderful community
effort to show our love, care and concern for desperately poor,
sick, abandoned and lonely children far away, all of whom will soon
be thrilled to receive their presents. Many of the children will be
receiving presents for the very first time in their lives.
DAVID AND PAT DAWSON
Bath district coordinators
Operation Christmas Child
Bath
Bath Chronicle, UK
December 5, 2006 Tuesday
More than 8,000 gift-filled shoe boxes are on their way to Eastern
Europe from Bath district which is a new record.
Once more, the generous people of Bath and the neighbouring towns
and villages in BA3, have donated a record number of gift-filled
shoe boxes for the Samaritan's Purse project and Operation Christmas
Child. Some 5,700 boxes have been processed in Bath during the past
three weekends of November, packed into cartons and sent on their
way to needy children in Eastern Europe.
In addition, more than 2,300 shoe boxes have been taken directly to
the area warehouse in Melksham for processing and dispatch, making
an amazing total of more than 8,000.
The area shoe box appeal was launched in June at Bath Abbey by the
Mayor of Bath, Cllr Mrs Carol Paradise, and we are grateful for
her enthusiastic support which has been matched by so many people
throughout the city and beyond.
Most of our shoe boxes are already on their way in containers or
lorries to Armenia, Serbia and Ukraine, with the remainder expected
to go to Bosnia-Herzegovina and Romania very soon. Each of the boxes
will be hand-delivered to children in orphanages, hospitals or poor
communities, irrespective of faith or race.
Sincere thanks are due to everyone who filled a shoe box with such
care, or gave extra gifts, and to the many local knitters, who
throughout the year, have made hundreds of beautiful hats, mittens,
scarves and puppets to delight the children.
We have had great support from the staff of local shoe shops who have
saved shoe boxes for us and from the many churches and businesses
that have acted as drop-off points for the shoe boxes, around the
city and in Radstock, Midsomer Norton and Wellow.
In particular, we should like to thank Oldfield Park Methodist
Church, and St Luke's Church in Bath, for providing the venues for
the processing weekends.
A team of 12 volunteer drivers have picked up shoe boxes throughout
our district and taken them to the processing centres, where over
the three weekends, nearly 100 volunteers have worked very hard,
but very happily, checking, taping and packing the 5,700 shoe boxes
- thank you all so much, it really has been a wonderful community
effort to show our love, care and concern for desperately poor,
sick, abandoned and lonely children far away, all of whom will soon
be thrilled to receive their presents. Many of the children will be
receiving presents for the very first time in their lives.
DAVID AND PAT DAWSON
Bath district coordinators
Operation Christmas Child
Bath