U.S. Residents to Collect 9.5 Million Shoebox Gifts for Children in Need
BOONE, N.C., Nov. 2016 — More than 4,500 locations around the country will serve as collection sites this year for the Samaritan’s Purse project Operation Christmas Child—the world’s largest Christmas project of its kind.
During National Collection Week, Nov. 14 – 21, anyone can donate shoeboxes—filled with school supplies, hygiene items, notes of encouragement and fun toys, such as a doll or soccer ball—for Operation Christmas Child to deliver to children in need around the world. This year, residents around the United States hope to contribute 9.5 million shoebox gifts toward the 2016 global goal of reaching 12 million children.
““The shoebox gifts donated throughout the country at these drop-off locations will shine a light of hope to children living in poverty overseas,” said Randy Riddle, director of Operation Christmas Child in the United States. “Anyone is welcome to pack a shoebox and help a child facing difficult circumstances to feel loved and not forgotten.”
More than 150,000 volunteers including families, churches and other groups are linking arms across the country to contribute to the largest Christmas project of its kind. In 2016, Operation Christmas Child hopes to collect enough shoebox gifts to reach 12 million children, with 9.5 million coming from the United States.
For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call 1-800-353-5949 or visit samaritanspurse.org/occ. By going online to give the suggested donation of $7* per shoebox gift, participants can follow their box to discover where in the world it will be delivered. They can also pack a shoebox gift online and even upload a photo and note of encouragement.
Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham. The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 135 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 150 countries and territories. For many of these children, the gift-filled shoebox is the first gift they have ever received. *The suggested per shoebox donation is $9 as of 2017.
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