The Operation Christmas Child Southern Ohio Area Team is extending the invitation to the public attend their annual Celebration Event on March 29, from 10 a.m.- noon, at the Family Life Center Christ Church at 150 Portsmouth St. in Jackson. Shoebox resources and box lunches will be provided.

Shoebox packing teams, church and community volunteers and families and friends from Gallia, Jackson, Lawrence, Meigs, Scioto and surrounding counties will gather to celebrate the 14,286 life shoebox gifts packed in person and online in 2024 by generous residents in southern Ohio. 

The group said OCC regional manager Mike McCleese will “talk about how God is using young people to bless children through The Greatest Journey, and College Student/Missionary Tiffany Carpenter, who, on a trip for OCC, taught The Greatest Journey.”

 In 2024, 5.5 million children participated in The Greatest Journey.

To reserve a seat, RSVP to Rita Edwards no later than March 26. Reservations may be made by email at richrita10@gmail.com or by texting or calling at 740-395-7220.

For more information about this volunteer opportunity with Samaritan’s Purse, contact Southern Ohio Area Coordinator Sherrie Klingaman at 740-395-6468 or visit samaritanspurse.org/occ.

Although local drop‑off locations for gifts are closed until Nov. 17 – 24, anyone can still be a part of this project by packing a shoebox gift online in just a few simple clicks at samaritanspurse.org/buildonline.

Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 232 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories.