Dowagiac gathers 600 gift boxes for 100+ countries

Published 11:25 am Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Christmas is arriving early in Dowagiac, as a local church and school prepare to serve as collection points for Operation Christmas Child.

Soon, with the help of Dowagiac volunteers, the sites will be brimming with festively wrapped shoe boxes full of gifts.

Through Operation Christmas Child, the world’s largest Christmas project, Dowagiac residents are packing shoe box gifts for children in more than 100 countries suffering from natural disaster, war, terrorism, disease, famine and poverty.

From Dowagiac, 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 Pastor John Kasper, Operation Christmas Child 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.

Collection sites

• First United Methodist Church
302 N. Lowe St.
Dowagiac, MI 49047
(800) 498-8554
Monday, Nov. 16: 9 a.m.-noon.
Tues. Nov. 17-Thursday, Nov. 19: 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 20: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 21: 10 a.m.-noon.
Sunday, Nov. 22: 1-4 p.m.
• Niles Adventist School
110 N. Fairview St.
Niles, MI 49120
(800) 498-8554
Monday, Nov. 16: 9 a.m.-noon.
Tuesday, Nov. 17-Thursday, Nov. 19: 2-4 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 20: 1-3 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 21: 5-7 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 22: noon-5 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 23: 9 a.m.-7 p.m.
In 2008, the Dowagiac area contributed 448 shoe box gifts to the Operation Christmas Child effort.

This year, organizers hope to collect 600 gift-filled shoe boxes from families, kids, churches, schools and civic organizations.

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.

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 are available at www.samaritanspurse.org.
PROCESS – Sign up to join Operation Christmas Child volunteers at the collection sites in Dowagiac as part of the effort to prepare millions of shoe box gifts for delivery to underprivileged kids on six continents.

For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call (937) 374-0761 or visit www.samaritanspurse.org.

National Collection Week is Nov. 16-23.