Operation Christmas Child to collect gifts in Graham
(Posted 11/3/2009 02:47 pm)
Christmas is arriving early all over Graham as First Baptist Church prepares to serve as a collection point for Operation Christmas Child. Soon, with the help of Graham volunteers, the site will be brimming with festively wrapped shoe boxes full of gifts.
Through Operation Christmas Child, the world’s largest Christmas project, Graham residents are packing shoe box gifts for children in more than 100 countries suffering from natural disaster, war, terrorism, disease, famine and poverty. From Graham, the shoe box gifts will be sorted and sent using whatever means necessary — sea containers, trucks, trains, airplanes, boats, camels, even dog sleds — to reach suffering children around the world.
“Operation Christmas Child is a unique opportunity to do something as simple as packing a shoe box that will have a lasting impact on a child a world away,” said Richard Segars, Operation Christmas Child drop-off site coordinator. “We are excited about the 2009 collection season as community members have already begun packing shoe box gifts.”
Operation Christmas Child uses tracking technology that allows donors to “follow your box” to the destination country where it will be hand-delivered to a child in need. To register shoe box gifts and find out what country they are delivered to, use the EZ Give donation form found at www.samaritanspurse.org.
The local collection site is First Baptist Church, 620 Fourth St. Collection times will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 16-20, 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 21, 2 to 4 p.m. Nov. 22 and 8 to 11 a.m. Nov. 23.
This year, organizers hope to collect 1,000 gift-filled shoe boxes from families, kids, churches, schools and civic organizations in the area.
Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child, a project of international Christian relief and evangelism organization Samaritan’s Purse, headed by Franklin Graham, has delivered more than 69 million gift-filled shoe boxes to needy children in some 130 countries.
To get involved, you can do the following things.
* PREPARE — Enlist families, churches, scout troops, community groups and businesses to take part in creating shoe box gifts for needy children worldwide.
* PACK — Fill shoe boxes with school supplies, toys, necessity items, hard candy and a letter of encouragement. Step-by-step shoe box packing instructions are available at www.samaritanspurse.org.
* PROCESS — Sign up to join Operation Christmas Child volunteers at the collection site in Graham as part of the effort to prepare millions of shoe box gifts for delivery to underprivileged kids on six continents.
For information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call (817) 595-2230 or visit www.samaritanspurse.org.
National Collection Week is Nov. 16-23.
(Posted 11/3/2009 02:47 pm)
Christmas is arriving early all over Graham as First Baptist Church prepares to serve as a collection point for Operation Christmas Child. Soon, with the help of Graham volunteers, the site will be brimming with festively wrapped shoe boxes full of gifts.
Through Operation Christmas Child, the world’s largest Christmas project, Graham residents are packing shoe box gifts for children in more than 100 countries suffering from natural disaster, war, terrorism, disease, famine and poverty. From Graham, the shoe box gifts will be sorted and sent using whatever means necessary — sea containers, trucks, trains, airplanes, boats, camels, even dog sleds — to reach suffering children around the world.
“Operation Christmas Child is a unique opportunity to do something as simple as packing a shoe box that will have a lasting impact on a child a world away,” said Richard Segars, Operation Christmas Child drop-off site coordinator. “We are excited about the 2009 collection season as community members have already begun packing shoe box gifts.”
Operation Christmas Child uses tracking technology that allows donors to “follow your box” to the destination country where it will be hand-delivered to a child in need. To register shoe box gifts and find out what country they are delivered to, use the EZ Give donation form found at www.samaritanspurse.org.
The local collection site is First Baptist Church, 620 Fourth St. Collection times will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 16-20, 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 21, 2 to 4 p.m. Nov. 22 and 8 to 11 a.m. Nov. 23.
This year, organizers hope to collect 1,000 gift-filled shoe boxes from families, kids, churches, schools and civic organizations in the area.
Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child, a project of international Christian relief and evangelism organization Samaritan’s Purse, headed by Franklin Graham, has delivered more than 69 million gift-filled shoe boxes to needy children in some 130 countries.
To get involved, you can do the following things.
* PREPARE — Enlist families, churches, scout troops, community groups and businesses to take part in creating shoe box gifts for needy children worldwide.
* PACK — Fill shoe boxes with school supplies, toys, necessity items, hard candy and a letter of encouragement. Step-by-step shoe box packing instructions are available at www.samaritanspurse.org.
* PROCESS — Sign up to join Operation Christmas Child volunteers at the collection site in Graham as part of the effort to prepare millions of shoe box gifts for delivery to underprivileged kids on six continents.
For information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call (817) 595-2230 or visit www.samaritanspurse.org.
National Collection Week is Nov. 16-23.
