SIDNEY — The Sidney Baptist Church, 1322 E. Court St., will serve as a collection site for this year’s Operation Christmas Child, a project fo Samaritan’s Purse.
Some 5,000 U.S. drop-off locations will accept shoebox gifts for children overseas during Operation Christmas Child’s national collection week, Nov. 12-19.
The Sidney Baptist Church will be open to accept donations from 5 to 7 p.m., Nov. 12 through Nov. 16; from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Nov. 17; from 2 to 5 p.m., Nov. 18; ;and from 8 to 10 a.m., Nov. 19.
Sidney families, churches and groups are are asked to fill shoeboxes with toys, school supplies and hygiene items. The Samaritan’s Purse project partners with local churches across the globe to deliver these tangible expressions of God’s love to children affected by war, disease, disaster, poverty and famine. For many of these children, it will be the first gift they have ever received.
This year, Sidney-area residents hope to collect more than 43,000 gifts to contribute to the 2018 global goal of reaching 11 million children.
“We are honored to be linking arms with our community to help children around the world experience the true meaning of Christmas,” said Regional Director David Zimmerman, “These simple gifts show God’s love to children facing difficult circumstances.”
For information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call 937-374-0761 or visit samaritanspurse.org/occ. Participants can donate $9 per shoebox gift online through “Follow Your Box” and receive a tracking label to discover its destination. Those who prefer the convenience of online shopping can browse samaritanspurse.org/buildonline to select gifts matched to a child’s specific age and gender, then finish packing the virtual shoebox by adding a photo and personal note of encouragement.
Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 157 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 160 countries and territories.
