WEST VIRGINIA (LOOTPRESS) – As folks go about the business of boxing up the Halloween decorations for 2023, early twinkles of the most wonderful time of year can already be felt in the air as November gets underway.
With the holiday season itself just around the corner, Operation Christmas Child is already in full swing as the Southeast West Virginia team works toward their “God-sized goal” of collecting a whopping 17,000 shoeboxes for children in need around the world.
The SE WV Team covers Mercer, Raleigh, Greenbrier, Fayette, Summers & Monroe Counties & consists of 26 people who volunteer their time to make Operation Christmas Child known to churches, businesses, community groups, individuals & families.
In order for the reception of the shoebox gifts to coincide with the Christmas holiday, participants need to begin the process of getting those shoeboxes packed as soon as possible!
As such, National Collection Week for Operation Christmas Child will begin on Monday, November 14, 2022 and will conclude the following Monday, on November 21, 2022.
The annual holiday tradition entails filling empty shoeboxes with toys, school supplies, and hygiene items to be delivered to children in need worldwide.
“Anyone can pack a shoebox!,” says Southeast WV Coordinator for Operation Christmas Child, Lisa Belcher. “Individuals, churches, families, and groups still have time 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.”
A step by step guide on how to pack a shoebox can be found here, and nearby drop-off locations can be found here.
“Now more than ever, children around the world need to know that God loves them and there is hope,” says Franklin Graham, President of Samaritan’s Purse, the organization through which Operation Christmas Child is conducted each year.
After collecting 10.5 million shoeboxes globally in 2021, Operation Christmas Child hopes to collect enough shoeboxes to reach 11 million children in 2022, with 9.4 million of these boxes coming from the U.S.
Learn more about Operation Christmas Child and all they do each holiday season to help those in need here.
Those with questions are encouraged to reach out to Area Coordinator Lisa Belcher by email at lgbb46@gmail.com or by phone at (304) 809-2655.