Operation Christmas Child Kicks Off at Woodstock First Baptist

While most people in the United States are preparing for holiday activities, volunteers with Operation Christmas Child—the world’s largest Christmas project of its kind—are filling shoe box gifts with toys, school supplies and hygiene items for needy children overseas.

This year-round project of international Christian relief and evangelism organization Samaritan's Purse, headed by Franklin Graham, is ramping up as local businesses, churches and community groups prepare to collect 45,000 gift-filled shoe boxes during National Collection Week (Nov. 12 – 19).

Anyone can drop off a packed shoe box at the collection site. Then, using whatever means necessary—trucks, trains, boats, bikes and even elephants—the shoe box gifts will be hand-delivered to hurting children in 100 countries around the world.

WOODSTOCK COLLECTION SITE:

First Baptist Church of Woodstock
11905 Highway 92
Woodstock, GA 30188
(800) 353-5949

• Monday: 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.
• Tuesday: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m
• Wednesday: 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
• Thursday: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m
• Friday: 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• Saturday: 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• Sunday Nov. 18: 8 a.m. – 12 p.m., 5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
• Monday Nov. 19: 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Additional local collection sites can be found using the Zip Code locator at www.samaritanspurse.org.

In 2012, Operation Christmas Child expects to reach a milestone—collecting and delivering shoe boxes to more than 100 million children since 1993. During that time, Operation Christmas Child has collected more than 94 million shoe box gifts and hand-delivered them to suffering children in more than 130 countries. This year, Operation Christmas Child hopes to collect another 9 million gift-filled shoe boxes.

Operation Christmas Child uses tracking technology to allow participants to “follow” their box to the destination country where it will be given to a child in need. To register shoe box gifts and find out the destination country, use the “Follow Your Box” donation form found at www.samaritanspurse.org/occ. 

For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call (770) 777-9342 or visit www.samaritanspurse.org/occ.