SAMPSONVILLE: A Richmond County resident is putting out a call to help fill the last of 150 Christmas boxes which are soon destined to children living in countries with need.
There’s only a dozen or so of the shoebox style packages left to fill, but Shanna Burke is hoping to deliver them to Sydney by Nov. 17.
For the last 15 years Burke and her family have been filling the boxes and she said it’s now become a custom.
“I just wanted to start traditions with my own girls, and I just thought they’d enjoy doing that,” Burke said. “So, we continue to do it every year.”
There are different programs throughout Canada partaking in similar fundraisers and the program Burke uses is called, The Good Samaritan’s Purse. Since 1993 more over 200 million children in over 170 countries have received a Christmas shoebox from this program.
Often different organizations fundraise on behalf of the program, but Burke orders the boxes herself and different families help fill them. Items such as toothbrushes, small games, crayons and small toys can make a “big difference to someone during Christmas,” the Richmond County resident said.
“I think it’s an important time to think that not everyone and every country are as lucky as some of us are. And little things mean a lot and people are grateful to just get anything.”
After filling so many boxes over the last 15 years, Burke admitted that sometimes she “wondered who is really receiving the boxes,” but always continued the tradition she shared with her daughters.
Last year while Burke was hosting an exchange student from Chile, the student saw the boxes, which turned into an “emotional moment.”
“She told us that she has received these boxes when she was younger through her church. She explained how excited her and her brother would be to get them and all the kids. She said she always wondered who filled them and was happy to know it was people like us,” Burke said. “I can’t tell you how much we both cried. I never imagined I would meet someone on the receiving end.”
That Christmas the exchange student participated in the Burke’s family tradition and filled a shoebox to send away.
If anyone wants to pick up a box or is interested in getting involved with the program Burke noted people can contact her at: 902-631-2746.