KITTS HILL — Union Baptist Church in Kitts Hill plans to pack 1,000 shoeboxes this year for Operation Christmas Child.

“We are hosting a community ‘packing party’ from noon-4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15 at our church on State Route 141,” Patty Townsend, church member, said. “Our church has a small congregation of about 40; we are also one of the drop-off centers in the county.”

Union Baptist has participated in Operation Christmas Child for the past 10 years. A program of Samaritan’s Purse, Operation Christmas Child provides gifts for underprivileged children overseas. A “packing party” is something Samaritan’s Purse recommends to make the packing process easy and efficient.

“Somebody told us about it a long time ago and we have been doing it ever since,” Crystal Simpson, co-organizer of the event along with her husband, Jeremy, said. “At first we went to Jackson and worked at the drop-off center there but now our church is a drop-off center.”

All donations have been collected to go into the boxes, Simpson said, which includes toys, school supplies, and accessories such as hats, sunglasses and watches. What has not been collected, however, is shipping costs.

“It cost $7 a box to ship these overseas,” Simpson said. “Oftentimes corporations will help with the cost of shipping but not necessarily all the costs.”

Union Baptist’s members have done several things to raise money, such as a chili cook-off that generated $500. There will be a bucket at the packing party to collect donations.

For more info, contact Simpson at 740-532-1321 or Townsend at 740-532-4279.