Operation Christmas Child begins collecting shoebox gifts

More than 4,000 locations are offering a curbside drop-off option for the Samaritan’s Purse project, Operation Christmas Child. Volunteers are collecting shoebox gifts during National Collection Week, Nov. 16-23.

Operation Christmas Child has been collecting and delivering shoebox gifts — filled with school supplies, hygiene items and fun toys — to children worldwide for more than two decades. This is a project that everyone can still be a part of, even with COVID-19 restrictions.

There’s still time for individuals, families, and groups to transform empty shoeboxes into fun gifts. The project partners with local churches across the globe to deliver these tangible expressions of God’s love to children in need. Find a step-by-step guide on the How to Pack a Shoebox webpage at samaritanspurse.org.

“In the midst of the pandemic, the needs are greater than ever before,” said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse. “Children around the world need to know that God loves them and there is hope. A simple shoebox gift opens the door to share about the true hope that can only be found in Jesus Christ.”

Participants can find the nearest drop-off location and hours of operation as they make plans to drop off their shoebox gifts. The online lookup tool is searchable by City or ZIP code. Signs at each location will identify the curbside drop off.

Those interested in more information on how Operation Christmas Child is making adjustments during its National Collection Week can visit the organization’s Important COVID-19 Updates webpage for the latest information and answers to Frequently Asked Questions.

Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse, seeks to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 178 million giftfilled shoeboxes to children in more than 160 countries and territories.

Drop-off locations locally are as follows:

First United Methodist Church, 315 E. Graves, Burnet:

• 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 18-21

• 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 22

• 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Nov. 22

Chapel of the Hills Baptist Church, 19135 E. Texas 29, Buchanan Dam:

• 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 18

• 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Nov. 19

• 10 a.m. to noon and 2:30 p.m to 3:30 p.m. Nov. 20

• 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 21

• 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 22

• 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Nov. 23