Volunteers are preparing to collect Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts during National Collection Week, from Nov. 18-Nov. 25. Sidney Baptist Church, which is located on East Court Street, is one of more than 4,700 drop-off locations that will open across the country in November.
Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has been collecting and delivering gift-filled shoeboxes 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.
Shoebox packing is fun for individuals, families and groups! Find a step-by-step guide on the How to Pack a Shoebox webpage. The project partners with local churches across the globe to deliver these tangible expressions of God’s love to children in need.
Participants can donate $10 per shoebox gift online through “Follow Your Box” and receive a tracking label to discover its destination.
“Children need hope, and they need to know that they are not alone and God loves them,” Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse, said. “Gift-filled shoeboxes 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.”
Participants can drop off at Sidney Baptist Church from 5 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 18-22, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Nov. 23, 2 to 4 p.m. on Nov. 24 and from 8 to 10 a.m. on Nov. 25.
