As the Thanksgiving season approaches, many families and children are giving thanks for all their blessings and sharing those blessings with youngsters in need by carefully packing shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child.
Shoebox gifts prepared by generous donors and filled with toys, personal care items, and school supplies may be dropped off now during National Collection Week, Nov. 17 – 24.
More than 5,000 drop-off sites across the country are now open, including a local site at Calvary Baptist Church, 1140 Rush Ave., Bellefontaine.
Hours of operation at Calvary Baptist Church are: 6 to 8 p.m. today, Tuesday, Nov. 18, continuing from 6 to 8 p.m. daily through Friday, Nov. 21; followed by 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 22; 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23; and 8 to 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 24.
The project of Samaritan’s Purse partners with local churches across the globe to deliver these personal expressions of God’s love to children in need.
Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered 232 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories. This year, Operation Christmas Child hopes to collect shoeboxes throughout Ohio to help with the global goal to reach another 12 million children.
“Every shoebox gift is an opportunity to tell a boy or girl that God loves them. That’s why we do what we do,” said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse. “I’m thankful for every single person who packs a shoebox because these simple gifts open the door for the Gospel.”
Monday, Nov. 17, Calvary Christian School first-grade teacher Valorie Jolliff stopped by the local drop-off site to deliver the boxes created by members of her church, the East Liberty Church of Christ. She’s enjoyed creating Operation Christmas Child boxes with her students throughout the years as well.
“It’s really neat to involve the kids in the process. It teaches them what Christmas is really all about, and provides a way to share Christ’s love with others.
“We had a missionary visit our school one time, and they shared a video of children in another country opening their shoebox gifts. It was such a joyful experience to see their reactions.”
This season, there’s still time for individuals, families and groups to transform empty shoeboxes into fun gifts.
Samaritan’s Purse suggests starting with a quality “wow” item such as a stuffed animal, soccer ball with pump, or clothing outfit that will capture the child’s attention, and then add personal care items, crafts, toys and clothing and accessories to fill the box.
Visit www.samaritanspurse.org for gift ideas and for labels for your shoebox. Those who buy a label online also have the opportunity to track their shoebox and learn of its final destination.
Those who prefer the convenience of online shopping can browse samaritanspurse.org/buildonline to select gifts matched to a child’s specific age and gender, then finish packing the virtual shoebox by adding a photo and personal note of encouragement. Shoebox gifts built online go to the ends of the earth to children in some of the hardest-to-reach places — whether deep jungles, city slums, steep mountainsides, or one of the more than 1,000 remote Pacific islands, Samaritan’s Purse officials noted.
Participants can use the online lookup tool to find the nearest drop-off location and hours of operation as they make plans to drop off their shoebox gifts.
For any questions about the local site, Operation Christmas Child project leader/drop-off team member Anita Kerns can be reached at (937) 935-6410, or via e-mail at AK.occrep@gmail.com.
