Operation Christmas Child set to begin

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CIZ COM CHILD ART

This holiday season, Whitestown residents are working to brighten the lives of millions of needy children around the world. Volunteers currently are preparing for the collection of 1,400 gift-filled shoe boxes – Whitestown’s target contribution to the world’s largest Christmas project of its kind, Operation Christmas Child.

Nov. 12-19, New Hope Christian Church in Whitestown will be bustling with activity as goodies for needy kids overseas are dropped off by local individuals and families. The church’s collection center will be transformed into a Christmas workshop as it is filled with colorfully wrapped gifts bound for hurting children worldwide.

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 the boxes. 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 in 100 countries around the world.

In 2012, Operation Christmas Child expects to reach a milestone, eclipsing the 100 million mark in children helped since 1993. Currently, the operation 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.

The program uses tracking technology to allow participants to “follow” their boxes 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 or for more information, use the Follow Your Box donation form found at www.samaritanspurse.org/occ.

Where
New Hope Christian Church
5780 S. 650 E., Whitestown
1-800-353-5949

When
Nov. 12-16: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Nov. 17: 8 a.m. to noon
Nov. 18: 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Nov. 19: 8 to 11 a.m.

Additional local collection sites can be found at www.samaritanspurse.org.


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