Christmas is arriving early in Smithville, as Indian Creek Baptist Church prepares to serve as a collection point for Operation Christmas Child. Soon, with the help of local volunteers, the site will be brimming with festively wrapped shoe boxes full of gifts.
Through Operation Christmas Child, the world’s largest Christmas project, Smithville residents are helping send shoe box gifts this year to more than 8 million children in 100 countries suffering from natural disaster, war, terrorism, disease, famine and poverty. From Smithville, 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 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.
This is the first year Indian Creek Baptist Church has served as a drop-off point for Operation Christmas Child. The church is located at 967 Hurricane Ridge Road, Smithville. The National Collection Week for Operation Christmas Child is Monday, November 15th through Monday, November 22nd and the center will be open, as follows:
Monday, November 15th through Friday, November 19th – 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, November 20 – 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 21 – 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Monday, November 22 – 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
In 2010, organizers hope to collect over 500 gift-filled shoe boxes from families, kids, churches, schools and civic organizations in the area.
For further information please contact:
Indian Creek Baptist Church: 615/597-7299 or
Sue Puckett: 615/597-7370 (office)
615/597-7325 (home)
615/464-7700 (cell)
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 77 million gift-filled shoe boxes to needy children in some 130 countries.
What You Can Do To Get Involved:
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 collection sites in Smithville as part of the effort to prepare millions of shoe box gifts for delivery to underprivileged kids on six continents.
For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call 1-800-353-5949 or visit www.samaritanspurse.org. National Collection Week is Nov. 15-22.
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