A dedicated group of Carinity Brownesholme retirement village residents are helping to bring a smile to children in need again this Christmas.
For the past ten years, residents have been supporting Operation Christmas Child, a global initiative of Samaritan's Purse.
The Brownesholme ladies - and other members of the Highfields community - gathered monthly to pack school supplies, personal hygiene items, clothing and small toys into shoe boxes which they cover in Christmas paper.
This year, they packed more than 60 packed boxes to be distributed to children in developing countries.
Operation Christmas Child distributes the shoeboxes to children around the world by many modes of transport including train, canoe, elephant and camel.
Within the Brownesholme village, some boxes are transported by group member June by electric scooter.
Funds to pay for the freight for the boxes was raised through generous donations from fellow residents and the sale of handmade cards.
Carinity Brownesholme retirement village Administration Officer, Kris Meares, said the enterprise was a social endeavour, with most packing sessions preceded by a cup of coffee and a chat amongst group members.
"As well as being happy to spread Christian love and joy to the children who receive the shoeboxes they pack, all of the ladies said the friendship and social side of their regular meetings played an important role in their lives," Kris said.
Over the past 31 years, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 210 million gift-filled shoeboxes, touching the lives of countless children in over 170 nations.
Carinity Brownesholme residents are already making plans to pack more boxes for Operation Christmas Child next year.
