ROCKINGHAM — Three Richmond County churches are serving as drop-off locations for Samaritan’s Purse’s Operation Christmas Child.
Monday started a national collection week for the charity’s project of delivering shoebox Christmas gifts to children around the world, which has been going on for more than 30 years, according to a press release.
Collection week runs through Nov. 25 with more than 4,700 drop-off locations in the U.S.
The local drop-offs are:
- Cordova Baptist Church, 226 Ledbetter St., Cordova – Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-noon; Saturday-Sunday 2-4 p.m.
- Roberdel Baptist Church, 1118 Richmond Road, Rockingham – Sunday-Saturday noon-2 p.m.
- Ellerbe First Baptist Church, 2116 Main St., Ellerbe – Sunday-Saturday 1-5 p.m.
“Samaritan’s Purse is committed to taking the Gospel to hard-to-reach places — whether it’s responding to a disaster or sharing God’s love through the power of a simple shoebox,” Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse, said in a press release. “You can show kids in need the true meaning of Christmas this year through a shoebox gift. Please prayerfully consider packing a shoebox this year.”
Gift suggestions include: a “wow” item (doll, toy truck, stuffed animal); personal care items (toothbrush, comb or brush, nail clippers, eating utensils); school supplies (pens, pencils, crayons, notebooks); clothing and accessories; crafts and activities (puzzles, jump rope, fishing kit, books); and other toys.
Samaritan’s Purse asks that the following not be included in the shoeboxes:
- Food, candy or gum
- Toothpaste
- Used or damaged items
- Scary or war-related items
- Wearable traditional camouflage
- Seeds or organic matter
- Liquids
- Medication
- Money
- Breakable items
- Matches, fire starters or aerosols
- Knife, saw or razor blades
Boxes can also be packed online at the Samaritan’s Purse website.
Operation Christmas Child started in 1993, with more than 28,000 shoebox gifts being sent to children in Eastern Europe, according to the website. In the past 30 years, more than 220 million children in more than 170 countries have received shoebox gifts.
