Operation Christmas Child continues spreading love across the world

Operation Christmas Child celebrates its 32nd year of sharing gifts and hope with children around the world. The program is coordinated by Samaritan’s Purse.

Franklin Graham, CEO of the organization, said millions of God’s people will soon be “packing and praying over their shoebox gifts that Samaritan’s Purse will send to children across the world.”

Shoeboxes are collected not only across the United States but also in countries including Australia, Austria,Finland,Germany, New Zealand, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

In northwest Alabama, the official drop-off center for five counties — Franklin, Lauderdale, Colbert, Lawrence and Marion — is First Baptist Church of Russellville.

Wade Baker, who coordinates logistics at the church, has served faithfully for several years alongside many volunteers.

Local churches that participate include Mountain View Baptist Church, Branches Church, Calvary Church, Pleasant Hill Church, Cherry Hill, Gateway Church, Gravel Hill, Tharptown Church and Russellville First Baptist Church.

Carol Goss, volunteer coordinator, said approximately 2,600 shoeboxes were donated last year through the local dropoff center with Mountain View Baptist contributing the largest share — 630 boxes.

Students and staff at Northwest Shoals Community College, including the Phil Campbell campus, contribute shoeboxes each year.

Last year, volunteers across the United States packed nearly 12 million shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child.

Dana Balding, assistant coordinator, said volunteers attend training meetings to learn how to properly pack the boxes and what types of items to include.

Recommended gifts include dolls, stuffed animals, toy cars, jump ropes, toothbrushes, socks, combs, hairbrushes, notebooks, coloring books and sunglasses.

Items not allowed include soap, candy, toothpaste, used or damaged goods, war-related or scary toys, seeds, food, liquids, lotions, medications or vitamins.

Balding has helped make Operation Christmas Child a year-round project at First Baptist.

She said this approach helps ease the financial pressure that comes in October and November, when people are also budgeting for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

During “Christmas in July,” Balding set up a tree in the church sanctuary and decorated it with tags listing items needed for shoeboxes. Many members picked up tags and donated.

The National Collection Week this year is Nov. 17–24.

During that time, donated boxes will be collected, checked and loaded onto three 18-wheelers, headed to Atlanta, Georgia, for international shipment.

Operation Christmas Child began in 1993, when Graham received a request to send shoeboxes to children affected by the civil war in Bosnia.

A church in Charlotte, North Carolina, joined the effort, and that first Christmas, the program delivered gifts to children in the Balkans.

Since then, the project has grown into a global ministry, delivering more than 200 million shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries.

The name comes from the New Testament parable of the Good Samaritan.

The organization’s headquarters are in Boone, North Carolina, with warehouse and aviation facilities in nearby North Wilkesboro and Greensboro.

Graham said the international shoebox project is “the vehicle God has put into our hands to reach the little children of the world.”

“We have seen how receptive children are to the Gospel message, and we want to be faithful in proclaiming its great truth — inviting a lost world into the saving faith of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

According to international headquarters, more than 24 million children have made decisions to accept Jesus as their Savior through the outreach of this ministry. Many go on to share their faith with others, leading to new churches being formed and entire communities transformed.

More than 11,500 yearround volunteers support the project across the U.S. with an additional 92,000 short-term volunteers helping at more than 4,500 drop-off locations during National Collection Week.

Once collected, the boxes are sent to processing centers, where more than 100,000 volunteers inspect and prepare them for international shipment.

Now is the time to get involved.

Many local churches and organizations have shoeboxes available and will be accepting donations in the coming weeks.

Invite your children or grandchildren to choose gifts for someone their age and let them see how generosity can travel across the world — and straight to another child’s heart.