Today is Final Day For Operation Christmas Child Donations
Today is the last day for donations for Operation Christmas Child.
Donations have been going since last week in Lavonia, Hartwell, and towns across Northeast Georgia.
Started by Samaritan’s Purse, Operation Christmas Child is the world’s largest Christmas project of its kind.
Henry Bridges is the Coordinator for Northeast Georgia.
Bridges said the annual gift giving event brings Christmas joy to thousands of children in third world countries across the globe.
“Most people know it as the shoebox ministry. It’s one ministry of Samaritan’s Purse, which is a Christian based organization, and share the love of Christ throughout the world through these shoeboxes. When we hand out a shoebox to a child, we also handout a little gospel booklet that tells the Christmas story of Christ, ” said Bridges.
At the local collection site in Lavonia and Hartwell, volunteers are on hand to receive an expected 22,500 gift-filled shoeboxes, packed by caring residents.
Bridges said the shoeboxes can be filled with all sorts of items for children.
“Basically, anything that you think a child in a third world country might want or need, which is pretty much anything. Things that are not acceptable are anything that will break, spill or melt. Hard candies are acceptable, but no soft chocolate. And we ask that you don’t put any war toys in there, ” said Bridges.
But small dolls, toy trucks and cars, comb and brush sets, games and coloring books are samples of what can be given.
Shoeboxes should be gift wrapped with the lid wrapped separately.
Bridges said once the shoeboxes make it to the main distribution center they are inspected.
Bridges said, “These boxes are opened at the processing center for two reasons. We look for your $7 donation, and also if there are any of those inappropriate items in the box, we are going to take those out and they are used locally by local charities.”
And Bridges said sometimes the shoebox itself can be a gift.
A plastic shoebox, he said, can provide a child a multitude of uses after Christmas.
“If you think about, the children could haul water in them, eat out of them. We just don’t think of not having anything, you know. Those are a little harder to wrap. One suggestion is to just get some colored tissue paper and just line the inside of the box as opposed to wrapping them.”
To drop off your Christmas shoebox for operation Christmas child in Lavonia, go to PoplarSpringsBaptistChurch on Gumlog Road in Lavonia through Monday November 25th.
In Hartwell, the Operation Christmas Child drop off center is at Cornerstone Baptist Church on U.S. 29 in Hartwell.