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Operation Christmas Child recruiting volunteers

By Dave Zuchowski, For The Greene County Messenger 3 min read

The week of April 15-21 is National Volunteer Week, and one of the ways people have decided to become part of the initiative is to volunteer time to help Operation Christmas Child.

A project of the international Christian relief organization, Samaritan’s Purse, headed by Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham, Operation Christmas Child sends gift-filled shoe boxes to millions of children in need each year along with a message of God’s gift to the world in the form of his son, Jesus Christ.

Partnering with local churches, the year-round project sends shoe boxes full of school supplies, toys and hygiene items to children suffering from poverty, natural disaster, war, terror, disease and famine.

For many of these children, the gift box will be the first gift they’ve ever received.

“The program has six ministry opportunities,” said 16-year volunteer and Southwestern Area Team coordinator, Christine Hainer, whose area covers Greene and Washington counties. “Besides the position of area coordinator, volunteers can serve as an administrative support team member and in community relations, church relations, leadership roles, collection networking, media relations, prayer mobilization and student relations.”

Most volunteers spend 5 to 10 hours a week doing various activities, depending on their role. Hours do increase the closer the calendar gets to collection week, which is November 12-19 this year.

Those interested in volunteering should contact Hainer by calling 724-225-2103.

The southwestern Pennsylvania area currently has nine team members and a total of five gift box drop-off centers, including one at the First Church of the Nazarene in Waynesburg.

“Our main objective is to recruit new churches, schools, businesses and community groups like the boy and girl scouts as gift box contributors,” Hainer said. “As part of this effort, twice a year we send out affirmation letters with collection statistics hold promotional events and use word-of-mouth to get the message out.”

Operation Christmas Child started in 1993 in a few states and collected 28,000 gift boxes the first year of operation. Over the past 25 years, it has grown to include all 50 states and 10 countries and has sent out 157 million gift boxes to children in over 100 countries.

Last year, the southwestern Pennsylvania area collected 17,822 boxes. The Mid-Atlantic Region, to which it belongs include Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia and the District of Columbia. Last year, the region collected 1,161,471 gift boxes. The U.S. total was 8,878,954, while the worldwide effort collected 11,012,840 boxes.

In 2013, Hainer went to Kampala, Uganda, to deliver boxes as part of a team. From April 25 to May 2 this year, she will fly to Kiev, Ukraine, to visit churches and schools to distribute more boxes, which aren’t always delivered around the holidays.

“The boxes include a Gospel booklet, and we also offer the recipients a 12-lesson discipleship program so they can learn about God’s greatest gift to mankind — His son, Jesus Christ,” Hainer said. “After they graduate they get a certificate of completion and a copy of the New Testament, along with stories from the Old Testament.”

For $6, donors can provide the Bible study materials, the certificate and the New Testament in the child’s native language.

To donate or volunteer, call 724-225-2103.

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