Mission to Seafarers spreading cheer — and care packages — this holiday season

A small band of volunteers at the Port of Halifax are making it their mission to build as many care packages as they can for seafarers who are spending the holidays at sea.

The Mission to Seafarers, a Halifax non-profit organization, has already put together 800 shoeboxes of goodies this year — and they're still going.

Each shoebox is filled with toiletries, warm winter clothing, a deck of cards, souvenirs and even some candy. Most of the items come from donations by churches and local businesses.

Jonathan Lachica has been away from his family in the Philippines on the Tropic Hope sailing the Atlantic for the last eight months.

He said he appreciates the gift box from the mission each year.

"It's like we feel the real Christmas even though we're far away from our family," Lachica said Thursday.

Helen Glenn, the mission's manager, said the organization has been building these boxes in "some form or another" for about 50 years. 

She said they have already delivered about 530 boxes that have been wrapped in festive paper.

"It's basic necessities and to say thank you for your services because they, especially through COVID, they've been working through absolutely horrendous circumstances," Glenn said.

"And many of them have been forced to stay on for a year when they're supposed to be repatriated after nine months."

She said the shoebox is likely the only gift they'll be opening on Christmas Day.

"I've had seafarers cry and just say, 'Bless you, thank you so much.' It's really a joyful thing to do."

Aurora Ulloa-Parsons, the shoebox co-ordinator, said many of the seafarers are from the Philippines or India, and are working to provide for their families. 

"The majority of their salary goes to feed their family and to make a better living for their family," Ulloa-Parsons said.

She said the care packages are necessary for the seafarers because the COVID-19 pandemic has limited their time off the boat.

"They haven't been allowed to go to port where they can get this [stuff], but this is mostly because they are away from their families for Christmas."

She said the shoeboxes will continue to be delivered until mid-January.

Glenn said the mission does more than give gifts. She visits the ships and checks in with the seafarers to make sure they're healthy and well treated.

Volunteers also help seafarers run errands like getting vaccinated and stocking up on food and supplies while they're at port in Halifax. 

For some, this is the last time they'll get off their ship for months so the volunteers do whatever they can to make the seafarers feel at home.

"We've been told that our home away from home is one of the friendliest around, so it's a heartfelt feeling," she said.