Staff report

Volunteers are preparing to collect Operation Christmas Child shoe box gifts during National Collection Week, Nov. 18 – 25. More than 4,700 drop-off locations will open across the country in November, and shoe box packers can find their local drop-off locations nearest them.
Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has been collecting and delivering gift-filled shoe boxes to children, including many who are suffering from war, poverty, disease and disaster. Operation Christmas Child hopes to reach another 12 million children in 2024 with the hope of Jesus.
“Children need hope, and they need to know that they are not alone and God loves them,” said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse. “Gift-filled shoe boxes open the door for us to share the hope of the Gospel with boys and girls around the world. Please pray that these simple gifts have an eternal impact.”
The project partners with local churches across the globe to deliver these tangible expressions of God’s love to children in need.
The boxes are sorted by whether it is for a boy or girl and if it for a child between the ages of 2 and 4, 5 and 9 or 10 and 14.
Items that go in the box include toys, school supplies, hygiene products and other items are placed in the box along with the optional personal note and photograph.
Suggested toys to include are ones the child is likely to embrace immediately such as dolls, toy trucks, stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, balls and toys that light up or make noise.
School supplies are pens, pencils and sharpeners, crayons and markers, stamps and ink ad sets, writing pads and other paper, calculators and coloring books.
Toothbrushes, bars of soap, combs and washcloths are some hygiene items in the boxes as and other items are T-shirts, socks, sunglasses, watches and flashlights with batteries.
Things that are not wanted in the boxes include used or damaged items, chocolate and other food items and items that are war-related.
A step-by-step guide on how to pack a shoe box is at SAMARITANSPURSE.ORG/OCC.
Boxes can be dropped at the following locations:
• First Baptist Church, 304 S. Fifth St., Ironton
Monday, Nov. 18, 3–6 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2–5 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 20, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 21, 3–5 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 22, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 23, 10 a.m.–12 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 24, noon–2 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 25, 8:30–10:30 a.m.
• Union Baptist Church, 10109 State Route 141, Kitts Hill
Monday, Nov. 18, 8:30–10:30 a.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 19, 6–8 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 20, 4:30–6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 21, 6–8 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 22, 4:30–6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 23, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 24, noon–2 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 25, 8:30–10:30 a.m.
For more information, contact Southern Ohio area coordinator Sherrie Klingaman at 740 395-6468.
Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse, seeks 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 220 million gift-filled shoe boxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories.
Shoe box packing is fun for individuals, families and groups.
Find a step-by-step guide on the How to Pack a Shoe box webpage at SAMARITANSPURSE.ORG/OCC.
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 shoe box by adding a photo and personal note of encouragement. Participants can follow their gift via a tracking label to discover its destination.
Participants outside Lawrence County can find their nearest drop-off location via the online lookup tool, at SAMARITANSPURSE.ORG/OCC, which is searchable by city or ZIP code.
Participants can donate $10 per shoe box gift online through “Follow Your Box” and receive a tracking label to discover its destination.