In Rowan County, four nearby locations are being transformed into a drop-off center for Operation Christmas Child — the world’s largest Christmas project of its kind.
At these local collection sites in Rowan County, local volunteers are on hand to receive an expected 11,000 gift-filled shoeboxes, packed by caring Rowan County residents with toys, school supplies, hygiene items and notes of encouragement.
Bursting with colorful wrapping paper and energetic volunteers, these collection sites will be open during Operation Christmas Child’s National Collection Week, Nov. 18–25.
At these local collection sites in the Rowan County area, anyone can drop off a gift-filled shoebox to send to a child overseas.
Then using whatever means necessary—trucks, trains, boats, bikes and even elephants—the shoebox gifts will be delivered to children worldwide.
For many children, the shoebox gift will be the first gift they have ever received.
Though the shoebox gifts will often travel thousands of miles, Operation Christmas Child offers a way for participants to follow their box, by using the donation form found at samaritanspurse.org. Donors will receive an email telling the country where their shoeboxes are delivered.
Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 100 million shoebox gifts to suffering children in more than 100 countries since 1993.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Operation Christmas Child hopes to collect another 9.8 million gift-filled shoeboxes in 2013.
Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham.
For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call 704-583-1463 or visit samaritanspurse.org.
National Collection Week for gift-filled shoeboxes is Nov. 18-25; however, shoebox gifts are collected all year at the Samaritan’s Purse headquarters in Boone.