Shoeboxes destined for overseas kids

Operation Christmas Child North Island manager Francois Joubert. Photo / Ben Fraser

Rotorua churches are spreading joy in shoeboxes this Christmas.

Operation Christmas Child is in full force again this year, sending shoeboxes full of gifts overseas to children in need.

Last year Rotorua volunteers filled 700 shoe boxes adding to the North Island's total of 19,120 which were sent to countries including Fiji, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Operation Christmas Child North Island manager Francois Joubert hopes there will be more shoeboxes to send this year. "In a country like New Zealand we have welfare systems, no-one is supposed to go without food and care.

"The people who we are giving boxes to are sometimes living off just $1.25 a day and that is supposed to cover food, life costs and housing.

"Often these children have never received a gift in their life," he said.

Each box contains five items - something to wear, something educational, something special, something for hygiene and something to play with.

Mr Joubert said these items were collected during the year by volunteers.

"The idea is to fill the box over the year and on a monthly basis, say when you got to the supermarket, you add something to the box."

The shoeboxes are collected in October to be sent out in time for the children to receive at Christmas.

Mr Joubert has been travelling the North Island visiting schools and churches, teaching them about the project.

His goal is for New Zealand to send 40,000 shoeboxes.

- For more information visit www.operationchristmaschild.org.nz for more information.