World’s largest Christmas project opens collection sites in Niles
Published 8:44 am Monday, November 10, 2014
Operation Christmas Present is an international project of Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian relief organization headed by Franklin Graham. Those interested in contributing to the project may donate their boxes to a number of locations in Michiana. (submitted photo)
This month, several locations in the Niles area will serve as collection sites for Operation Christmas Child — the world’s largest Christmas project of its kind.
The annual project is a favorite of many Niles residents, families, churches and groups who help spread God’s love to millions of children around the world by filling shoeboxes with toys, school supplies and notes of encouragement.
“Operation Christmas Child is a fun project that makes a tangible difference in the life of a child facing difficult circumstances. Anyone can participate, whether young or old,” said Niles volunteer Bill Burger.
Through local collection points, Niles residents hope to contribute more than 4,400 gift-filled shoeboxes to the 2014 global goal of reaching 10 million needy children. Since 1993, Samaritan’s Purse has delivered gift-filled shoeboxes to more than 113 million children in over 150 countries through Operation Christmas Child. For many of these children, a gift-filled shoebox is the first gift they have ever received.
The Niles Seventh Day Adventist School, 110 N. Fairview Ave., Niles, will be collecting gift-filled shoeboxes at the following times from Nov. 17-24:
Monday, Nov. 17 — 8 to 11 a.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 18 — 5 to 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 19 — 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 20 — 1 to 3 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 21 — 1 to 3 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 22 — 5 to 7 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 23 — 1 to 5 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 24 — 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Niles’s collection site hopes to collect 4,400 gift-filled shoeboxes.
Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham. Through simple shoebox gifts and a message of hope through Jesus Christ, children learn they are loved and not forgotten.
For more information about how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call (219) 362-5292 or visit samaritanspurse.org. National Collection Week for gift-filled shoeboxes is Nov. 17-24; however, shoebox gifts are collected all year at the Samaritan’s Purse headquarters in Boone, North Carolina.
Participants can track their boxes online to the country where they will be delivered. To track a shoebox gift, use the online donation form at samaritanspurse.org. Click on “Pack a Shoebox” / “Follow-Your-Box Label.”
