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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, November 13, 2014 | 34 A golden shoebox rocked her world and changed her life by Nathan Howes Special to the Beaver A shoebox may hold a pair of sneakers for some, but for Damaris Vezentan it had much more. A mother of three, Vezentan is an ambassador for Operation Christmas Child (OCC), which provides Canadians an opportunity to get involved in a handson project from Samaritan's Purse to help children in need overseas. Shoeboxes are filled with hygienic items, school supplies, toys and candy, and shipped to children in West African and Latin American countries. Vezentan recently embarked on a speaking tour across southwestern Ontario to tell the story of her shoebox and the impact it had -- and continues to have -- on her life. The Kitchener, Ont., resident dropped by St. Marguerite d'Youville Catholic School Thursday, Nov. 6 for two presentations to students. When Vezentan was nine, OCC officials came to her town in Romania to distribute shoeboxes. She was given her first-ever Christmas gift -- a golden shoebox -- which was so special to her it "rocked my world twice," Vezentan said. "We gathered together at church and all these happy people came with shoeboxes and Damaris Vezentan (centre) visited St. Margeurite d'Youville Catholic School to kick off the school's participation in Operation Christmas Child, which sends shoeboxes to needy children. Damaris told the story of how much it meant to her when she received a shoebox when she was a nine-year-old in Romania. Pictured, Vezentan is surrounded by students with some of the items destined for a shoebox. From left are: Vienna Mosler-Plata, 9, Henry Barber, 10, Liam Coughlan, 10, Nicholas Byj, 10, and Jennifer Molinari, 9. | photo by Graham Paine ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or facebook.com/HaltonPhotog) they just started delivering to every one of us. We were told to line up and each one of us would get a box," said Vezentan. "I was so excited to receive my box and I couldn't wait to see it." The first time Vezentan took the lid off, she immediately put it back on because she was afraid the items would disappear if she removed them from the box, she said. "I'd never seen anything so pretty before, so I just wanted to make sure it lasted. I left the box untouched for a few days and I put it under the bed," said Vezentan. "When I had a sad day, I would pull it from under the bed, look at it and put the lid back on." On one such "sad day," the OCC ambassador decided to open her shoebox, gasping at what she saw inside, Vezentan said. The box contained a porcelain doll, stickers, colouring books and "one special item that I still have today," she explained. "It's a journal... because I always love to write. When I opened (the lid) and found it towards the bottom of the box, I was so excited because my parents always wanted to buy me a journal," said Vezentan. "When I saw it, I was really excited because now I had something I really liked." Another thing that was "really special" in her box, Vezentan said, was a photograph of the family that donated the items. see Shoebox on p.41 November Guest Feature Bring in this $25 Gift Voucher AG . . . u o Y r o F ift RECEIVE $25 OFF when you spend $50 GRAND OPENING NOV 14 - NOV 16 $ Bring in this gift voucher and Bring in this gift you voucher f when receive $25 off spend $50 and receive $25 off when you spend $50. 3 CK S ST AR BU ANY 6-INCH SUB WITH DRINK PURCHASE $25 gift voucher has no discount cash value. The discount will b applied only to food if your than total$50, food bill is This $25 gift This voucher has no cash value. The will be applied only to food purchases if your totalpurchases food bill is greater not including taxes greater than $50, not including taxes or gratuities. Voucher expires November 30th, 2014. Voucher valid or gratuities. Voucher expiresSunday November 30, 2014. Voucher only. valid Sunday through Maximum one voucher per table. through Thursday Maximum one Thursday voucher only. per table www .ribeyejacksalehouse. com Road, Burlington 6531 Mississauga Road, Mississauga 4045 Harvester 6531 Mississauga Road, Mississauga NO RT H 4045 Harvester Road, Burlington 905-633-9929 6531 Mississauga Road, Mississauga 905-820-6300 S RD CE VI R E W ABBEY CENTRE ENTER TO O WIN IPAD MINIS ITUNES GIFT CARDS QUIZNOS GIFT CARDS DO RV AL 223 NORTH SERVICE RD W OAKVILLE