Collection for Operation Christmas Child is Nov. 16-23 at Carson Valley Christian Center

Staff Reports

Christmas is arriving early, as a local church prepares to serve as a collection point for Operation Christmas Child. With the help of Carson Valley volunteers, the sites will be brimming with festively wrapped shoe boxes full of gifts. 

Through Operation Christmas Child, residents pack shoe box gifts for children in more than 100 countries suffering from natural disaster, war, terrorism, disease, famine and poverty. 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 Ralph Schumacher, Operation Christmas Child Minden 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

A local collection is at Carson Valley Christian Center, 1095 Stephanie Way, Minden.

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.

What to 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 at www.samaritanspurse.org

Process. Sign up to join Operation Christmas Child volunteers at collection sites in Minden as part of the effort to prepare millions of shoe box gifts for delivery to underprivileged kids on six continents.

In 2008, Carson Valley contributed 1,049 boxes to the Operation Christmas Child effort. This year, organizers hope to collect 1,200 gift-filled shoe boxes from families, churches, schools, businesses and civic organizations to create gifts for needy children worldwide.

Fill shoe boxes with school supplies, toys, necessity items, hard candy and a letter of encouragement. National Collection Week is Nov. 16-23, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Sunday and 8-9 a.m. Nov. 23 at Carson Valley Christian Center, 1095 Stephanie Way, Minden.

Shoe box packing instructions and information about Operation Christmas Child at www.samaritans purse.org or (714) 432-7030.