Operation Christmas Child brightens lives of children around the world
Christmas and gift-giving go hand in hand, which is one reason why Evilyn Pinnow of Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, decided as an eight-year-old to found the Shoe Box Club.
Her goal was to collect useful items, pack them in shoe boxes and send them to needy children around the world. Currently, her goal has grown exponentially. She’s rallying volunteers across the nation to help Operation Christmas Child send millions of gift-filled shoe boxes to needy youth worldwide.
Operation Christmas Child, a project of international Christian relief and evangelism organization, Samaritan’s Purse, is headed by Franklin Graham, Billy Graham’s son, and constitutes the world’s largest Christmas project. This year, the Operation hopes to collect nine million shoe boxes and deliver them in time for Christmas.
Greene County has been involved in Operation Christmas Child for nine years, with the Oak View United Methodist Church in Waynesburg serving as a relay center for the boxes for six of those years.
Nicki Strayer of Mather has been the Greene County coordinator for the past six years and said the number of gift boxes donated by area residents has grown each year.
“In 2007, Greene County residents donated 775 boxes,” she said. “In 2008, the figure jumped to 1,043 to 1,200 in 2009 to 1,146 in 2010 and to 1,270 last year. In 2011, the Mid-Atlantic Region in which Greene County is included, collected a total of 723,327 boxes. Nationally last year, the goal was to collect 5.8 million boxes but the amount actually donated was 6,051,799.”
Items that may be included in each box are toys, crayons, coloring books, wrapped candy (nothing that melts), flip-flops, underwear, tooth brushes, toothpaste, wash rags, Slinkies, toy jewelry, flashlights with batteries, sunglasses and small dolls. Especially welcome are school supplies including calculators.
Items not wanted in the boxes include liquids, breakables and war-related or used items. A full list of item information can be accessed online at samaritanpurse.org/occ. Donors may also print out tags designating whether the box is appropriate for a boy or girl and the intended age range (2 to 4, 5 to 9, and 10 to 14). Tags are also available at the Oak View United Methodist Church in Waynesburg on drop off days.
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.
Greene County residents may also deliver their shoe boxes filled with gift items to the Oak View United Methodist Church, located at 160 Rolling Meadow Road in Waynesburg, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, from 4 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday and from noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday during the week of Nov. 12 through 18.
“Ordinary cardboard shoe boxes will suffice, but the children seem to really appreciate the plastic shoe boxes available at Dollar Stores because they can store their treasures in them for keeps,” Strayer said “You can also pretty much fill up the boxes with gift items available at discount stores like Dollar General.
Each box will include a copy of “The Greatest Journey,” a collection of Bible stories printed in the child’s own language, and all the boxes will be sent overseas to children around the world in time for Christmas.
“None of the boxes will go to American children because there are a lot of agencies that work with them during the Christmas holidays,” Strayer said. “Although the Oak View congregation tries to cover the $7 shipping charge for each box, we encourage donors to include $7 with each box they donate to cover this expense.”
Oak View Church serves as a collection point and relay center for Greene County. Once all the boxes have been collected by Nov. 18, they’re packed 12 to 16 in larger cartons and driven to a central regional collection point in McMurray, Washington County.
“During collection week, the shoe boxes are placed on our altar, then put in cartons for shipping,” Strayer said. “Before they leave, we pray over them, then send them on their way to brighten up the lives of needy children around the globe.”
For more information on Operation Christmas Child, call 724-883-4020.