This year, several local students were stocking up pencils, crayons and notebooks as they prepared to head back to school, but not everything is for their backpack. These students are looking beyond their own checklist to collect school supplies for children living in poverty overseas as a part of Operation Christmas Child.
Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritans Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 157 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 160 countries and territories.
Throughout the month, many local students, parents and volunteers fill empty shoeboxes with school supplies, alongside hygiene items and fun toys. Operation Christmas Child will deliver these shoebox gifts to children affected by war, disease, disaster, poverty and famine.
For more information on participating in Operation Christmas Child, visit samaritanspurse.org/occ <http://www.samaritanspurse.org/occ>. Participants can donate $9 per shoebox gift online through Follow Your Box and receive a tracking label to discover its destination. Those who prefer the convenience of online shopping can browse samaritanspurse.org/buildonline <http://samaritanspurse.org/buildonline> to select gifts matched to a childs specific age and gender, then finish packing the virtual shoebox by adding a photo and personal note of encouragement.
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