Giving spirit shines at Mercer Island’s Covenant Shores retirement community

Residents and staff pack 61 shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, a project by Samaritan’s Purse.

December 1, 2017 1:30 pm
Mihaela Dimitriu, fitness coordinator at Covenant Shores, Roxanne Helleren, resident life director, and Chaplain Greg Asimakoupoulos pose with the shoeboxes assembled for Operation Christmas Child. Photo courtesy of Wendy D’Alessandro
Mihaela Dimitriu, fitness coordinator at Covenant Shores, Roxanne Helleren, resident life director, and Chaplain Greg Asimakoupoulos pose with the shoeboxes assembled for Operation Christmas Child. Photo courtesy of Wendy D’Alessandro

The Christmas spirit arrived early at Covenant Shores retirement community on Mercer Island, where residents and staff packed 61 shoeboxes with a collection of purchased toys, school supplies and hygiene items.

The collection is part of a global effort by Samaritan’s Purse project, called Operation Christmas Child, to make a difference in the lives of children affected by war, disease, poverty and famine.

More than 100,000 volunteers including families, churches and other groups join forces to help Operation Christmas Child collect enough shoebox gifts to reach 12 million children, with 9.6 million coming from the United States. This is the third year Covenant Shores participated in the project.

“We are blessed with a community of residents and staff who believe in the joy of giving,” said Covenant Shores Chaplain Greg Asimakoupoulos. “During the holiday season our giving spirit shines especially bright.”

Covenant Shores residents also collected a couple hundred men’s athletic socks to donate to Operation Nightwatch, a ministry that helps reduce the impact of poverty and homelessness in Seattle. In addition, during the community wide interfaith Thanksgiving celebration at Covenant Shores on Nov. 19, residents collected nonperishable food to give to a local food bank.

Covenant Shores, a faith-based, not-for- profit, continuing care retirement community, is located at 9150 Fortuna Drive. For more, visit www.covenantshores.org or call 877-385- 8613.