Dec 20, 2008 - 04:06:10 CST
Christmas gifts come in many different shapes and sizes. Some are big, some are small and some are the exact size of a shoebox.The Shoebox Christmas project gives out presents in vibrantly wrapped shoeboxes. But underneath the cardboard and wrapping paper, the contents of each box are unique, as they are 100 percent donations.
Some of the lowest income families live in North Dakota and South Dakota, with many on Native American reservations. This fact motivates the Shoebox Christmas organizers to make sure that these children get a carefully wrapped shoebox-sized gift, stuffed with age-appropriate gifts and a copy of the Christmas story.
"We are only scratching the surface with these 4,000 gifts," Children of the Harvest missionary Mike Flowers said.
Flowers started the project with his wife as a way to provide gifts to low income families on reservations, but it has grown to include children in need outside of the reservations as well. They recognized a need and chose to take action.
"Children of the Harvest are dedicated to working with children who are needy and at risk," Flowers said.
Shoeboxes also are sent to homeless shelters and organizations like the Abused Adult Resource Center.
"Many of the children that get gifts through this program, that is the only gift that they are going to get," Flowers said.
Shoeboxes are collected throughout the year at different churches in North Dakota and South Dakota.
Flowers and his wife then take a 3,500-mile road trip across the Dakotas to collect all of the shoebox gifts.
This year's gift collection is complete, and distribution is under way. Efforts for 2009 will begin with the new year.
According to Linda Suko, chairman of the Shoebox Christmas project at McCabe United Methodist Church, the top and bottom of the box are wrapped separately and held together with a rubber band. The gifts also are organized by gender and age group.
Hats, mittens and scarves are acceptable, but any other articles of clothing should be donated separately.
Suko organizes the gifts donated within Bismarck, and ends up wrapping a large portion of the gifts herself.
"It gets to be quite extensive when you start to get all the boxes in," Suko said.
Shoebox collections don't begin until mid-summer, but Suko recommends shopping early.
She said that she encourages members of McCabe United Methodist Church to keep the project in the forefront of their mind every time they go shopping, always looking for sales and deals.
The Shoebox Christmas project is affiliated with the United Methodist Churches in North Dakota and South Dakota, but anyone can donate a shoebox.
McCabe United Methodist, located at 1030 N. Sixth St., Bismarck, is the local collection point.
(Kay Kemmet can be reached at 250-8260 or at kay.kemmet.) @bismarcktribune.com
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