Ohio East Area of Operation Christmas Child collects 37,250 shoeboxes
Totals are in from Operation Christmas Child’s National Collection Week in November when area residents shared the true meaning of Christmas with children around the world.
The generosity of residents in Carroll, Coshocton, Harrison, Holmes and Tuscarawas counties and the Ohio East Area team enabled the area to exceed previous year totals by collecting 37,250 gift-filled shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, a project of international Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse.
This is the seventh year for the Ohio East Area of OCC.
Ohio East team members spread the word about shoeboxes to churches, the general public, businesses and community groups. Many others were involved in their own local churches, and there were those who made items or shopped year round for shoebox gifts. The shoebox gifts collected in this area were transported to Boone, North Carolina, where they were prepared for the journey to more than 150 countries around the world.
It is not too late to donate a shoebox. Donations can be mailed to Samaritan’s Purse, Operation Christmas Child, 801 Bamboo Road, Boone, NC 28607. Shoeboxes can be packed online at www.samaritanspurse.org year round.
For information on becoming a volunteer with Operation Christmas Child, call Lynette Mahaffey at 330-852-8812 or email nettiemahaf@aol.com.
Category: Faith
