Thousands of children in need now have toys, hygiene items, and school supplies thanks to the efforts of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows citizens.

As part of the 2022 Samaritan’s Purse shoebox campaign, otherwise known as Operation Christmas Child, a total of 52,498 shoeboxes were packed by B.C. residents.

Of this total, Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows produced 4,642 shoeboxes, which were then sent to children in Ukraine, the Philippines, Central America, and western Africa.

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Kendra Shields, director of Operation Christmas Child, expressed her joy at the number of shoeboxes produced by B.C. and the rest of Canada.

“We are so grateful for the generosity of Canadians,” said Shields. “These gift-filled shoeboxes are a tangible expression of God’s love and will provide joy and hope to children, many of whom have never received a gift before.”

Anyone wishing to pack a shoebox for children in need can do so by visiting www.packabox.ca.

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