OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD IN BRIGG

Operation Christmas Child is well supported in Brigg, helping to get gifts to the needy.
There will be a Bring & Fill Shoebox Packing Party at St John’s Church Hall, Bigby Street, on Saturday, November 22, from 9am to 3pm. Refreshments will be available.
For the long-serving Maria Simpson this will be her last organising the appeal. But she hopes to stay involved "in a minor capacity"  once someone else has taken over the planning.
Maria has put a tremendous amount of hard work into the task over the years, and it was suggested to us (not by her) that Brigg Blog should make this known to a wider audience.
She has been involved with the Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes since 2000 when the then curate at St John's, Mark Poskitt, left and asked her to take it on.  
"Back then it was just to be a contact for them to send the leaflets to," says Maria. "After getting involved with the checking and processing of the boxes at various sites in Grimsby over the years I became an official volunteer and  got more involved year on year.  
"I contact Brigg area schools in September and ask them to consider doing the shoeboxes and pass this information back to the pick up team in Grimsby with preferred dates for the box pick ups.  If the schools need me to I also organise leaflets, posters & DVDs and drop them off at the schools.
!I collect all year round, mostly buying items which are reduced or out of season and then storing them at home. Members of the congregation donate items for the boxes. In September a box goes into church for people to donate into.  I collate a list of items donated and put out pleas for certain items as the time to pack draws closer.
"Last year we finished our Bring & Fill day with 277 boxes, filled and paid for.  
"Father Owain suggested we could make it 300 this year.  
"I have had my sister in Sheffield getting shoe boxes and wrapping them since January and to date she has wrapped 210 boxes ready for the Bring & Fill Packing Party on November 22.  
"Another member of the congregation, Connie, has also been wrapping boxes and to date has 75 ready.  Connie and I have also been wrapping gift boxes to sell to fund the boxes' transportation.  'Buy a Box to Send a Box' is the slogan for this venture."