For the eighth year, local organizer Linda Butler and a growing team of volunteers are spreading joy across the globe this Christmas with shoeboxes for Canadian military members.
The project began when Butler started sending care parcels to her son while he was stationed overseas.
Butler ships to Canadian soldiers serving in Latvia, Kuwait, Egypt, Jerusalem, Kosovo, and Iraq. Each box is topped with a Santa hat and Christmas garland, but the real prize is underneath.
Also inside each parcel are Christmas pictures and letters created by schoolchildren. Butler praised Simcoe Composite School for making postcards and collecting generous donations. St. Cecilia’s students decorate all the boxes to make them festive and bright, while schools as far away as Niagara Falls also take part in the project.
Butler often hears back from the soldiers who receive a shoebox.
The parcels lift morale and remind our troops they’re not forgotten.
Donations are being accepted until November 14, with volunteers gathering afterward to begin packing. Those wishing to contribute can email iamlindabutler@gmail.com for details.
For many soldiers, these small parcels of kindness bring comfort, connection, and a much-needed taste of home during the holidays.
