Operation Christmas Child under way
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Great Bethel Baptist Church in Uniontown as volunteers sorted and counted stacks of shoeboxes wrapped with brightly colored holiday paper and filled with presents Tuesday afternoon. “It just gives you hope to know you’re helping someone who really needs it,’ Darla Stump said with a smile.
It’s collection week for Operation Christmas Child, a national program in which individuals, groups, schools and churches gather ordinary shoeboxes with candy, small Christmas presents and a Gospel message that will be sent to children around the world who live in desperate situations, such as famine and war. Operation Christmas Child is a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse, headed by Dr. Franklin Graham, son of famous evangelist Dr. Billy Graham.
None of the volunteers, such as Stump, a member of Little White Rock Church in Uniontown, know where their shoeboxes will be sent. But that doesn’t matter to them. They know they are going to children.
“I like the fact I can share with kids who are less fortunate,’ said Wanda Rockwell, also of Little White Rock Church, which is located on Mountain Road.
Little White Rock has been collecting items for Operation Christmas Child for three years.
“Some of our little kids in our church wrote notes for the boxes,’ said Rockwell, who is volunteering at the drop-off site at Great Bethel for the first time. “We’re trying to teach them about sharing and how fortunate we are and that we need to ask for what we need and not what we want.’
Stump noted that at the church’s Halloween party, the children played games and won prizes, which they donated to Operation Christmas Child.
“It was really exciting,’ Stump said.
The whole process of Operation Christmas Child – giving unto others – starts the holiday season in a good way for many people.
Rockwell said, “This kind of puts you in the Christmas spirit.’
The Rev. Paul K. Lesher, pastor of Fairchance Free Methodist Church, is heading Operation Christmas Child collections at Great Bethel Baptist this year, taking over for Susan Jennings, formerly of Uniontown, who moved to Greensburg and is district volunteer collection center coordinator.
“We had about 500 shoeboxes yesterday,’ said Lesher, talking about the first day of collections. “We loaded them into the trailer (stationed on the street beside Great Bethel). It will be here all week. In fact, we’ll probably need another one.’
The trailers will deliver the shoeboxes to Greensburg where they will be sent to the national processing center in Charlotte, N.C.
Other local drop-off sites will also be collecting shoeboxes this week and sending them to Greensburg.
The drop-off sites and their times for the rest of the week are:
Great Bethel Baptist Church, 47 W. Fayette St., Uniontown, today from 1 to 4 and 5 to 8 p.m., Thursday and Friday from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. Contact is Lesher at 724-564-5000.
World Christian Outreach Ministries, 503 W. Georgia Ave., Connellsville, today through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. Contact is Ruth Smith at 724-628-9285.
Clinton Church of God, 406 Buchanan Road, Normalville, today through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Sunday by appointment. Contact is Lawrence Richter at 724-455-3718.
New Life Covenant Church, 4809 National Pike, Markleysburg, today through Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Contact is Teresa Christman at 724-329-8117.
First Baptist Church, 515 Morgantown Road, Point Marion, today from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Contact is the Rev. Kathy Griffith at 724-725-1692.
Last year, the district collected more than 12,000 shoeboxes.
On Tuesday at Great Bethel, Lesher said Christian schools, civic organizations and churches were bringing in shoeboxes. They included Little White Rock Church, St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and Jefferson Catholic Club in Uniontown, Mount Moriah Baptist in Smithfield, First Christian Church in Grindstone, Open Door Christian School in Waynesburg, Fairchance First Baptist, Haydentown Christian Church, Smithfield United Methodist Church, Brownfield United Methodist Church and Trinity United Methodist Church in Fairchance. People were bringing in shoeboxes from as far away as West Virginia and Maryland.
Lesher is anticipating shoeboxes from St. Therese Roman Catholic Church in Uniontown, noting, “They brought in over 900 last year – more than any other group.’
Twelve churches and one home-school group are sending representatives to help Great Bethel receive, count and prepare the shoeboxes this week. Several of them were ready when representatives from Third Presbyterian Church in Uniontown arrived with a car filled with 68 shoeboxes.
Carol Wallace of Third Presbyterian said, “This is the fifth year we’ve done this. The children bring in things. Older people give money.
“We try to fill in with washcloths, soap, toothbrushes and $5 for each box for postage.’
The children enjoy participating, but Wallace also noted, “One lady who had passed away started doing this a long time ago, so her husband came in to finish it – Thelma and Fred Watson.’
Asked why people like Operation Christmas Child, Lesher said, “Christmas is a time of giving and people like being able to have an impact on children around the world. For them, Christmas is a time of giving rather than receiving.’