Operation Christmas Child momentum grows
By News-Argus Staff
Published in News on October 18, 2006 1:49 PM
Churches, civic groups, school children and businesses across Wayne County are putting together shoes boxes of toys and other items needed by poor children across the world for the annual Operation Christmas Child drive.
The annual campaign, a project run by Samaritan's Purse International and the Rev. Franklin Graham, is one of the major holiday charities, sending hundreds of thousands of gift boxes overseas each year.
Wayne County residents are urged to join the campaign by donating a shoe box filled with small toys, double-bagged hard candy and soap and other toiletry items. Boxes should be designed and marked specifically for a boy or girl of a certain age.
Adamsville Baptist Church at 130 N. Berkeley Blvd., will serve again this year as a collection point. Organizers say they hope to come up with 6,000 boxes from Wayne County donors.
Collection dates will be Nov. 13, 14 and 15 from 3-7 p.m.; Nov. 16 from 10 a.m. until noon and from 3-6 p.m.; Nov. 17 from 3-6 p.m.; Nov. 18 from 2-5 p.m. and Nov. 19 from 3-8 p.m.
Boxes will be shipped Nov. 20.
Among the items that make good gifts are balls, dolls, small toy cars, stuffed animals, yo-yos, crayons, stamp and ink sets, writing pads, coloring books, toy jewelry, watches, flashlights, toothbrushes and toothpaste, soap, combs, hair clips, socks, t-shirts and ball caps. Age groups are 2-4 years old, 5-9 years old and 10-14 years old.
Call 800-353-5949 if you need to order brochures with labels, posters, prayer calendars or CDs. People are invited to include a photograph of themselves or their families as a greeting to a child on the other side of the world.
Donors are also asked to contribute $7 to help pay shipping costs.
Samaritan's Purse is considered one of the most efficient charitable organizations in the world, with only 76 paid employees but 50,000 volunteers.
Donations can also be made by visiting www.samaritanspurse.org/occ.