WORTHINGTON -- Christmas is still almost two months away, but the holiday spirit is already in full swing for organizers of Operation Christmas Child.
Touted as "the world's largest Christmas project," Operation Christmas Child is an effort of the international Christian relief organization Samaritan's Purse, headed by Franklin Graham.
"This is a great opportunity, not only to bring hope and joy to a hurting child's life, but to also teach children in this country about generosity and compassion," said Graham.
The concept is simple: It's a kids-helping-kids project through which children (as well as adults, families, organizations, churches, clubs, businesses) are asked to fill shoeboxes with personal gifts, school supplies, candy, necessity items, photos and notes of encouragement. The gifts are then sent off to locations around the world to be delivered to children who may have never received a Christmas present and may not even know what Christmas is.
Operation Christmas Child began in the United States in 1993 with 28,000 shoebox gifts, and since that time, more than 61 million gifts have been hand delivered to needy children in some 130 countries. This year, it is anticipated that 8 million shoeboxes will be filled by people from all 50 states and 11 countries, and more than 130,000 volunteers worldwide will join forces to prepare the boxes for transport to distant lands.
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On the local level, the American Reformed Church, 1720 N. Burlington Ave., has coordinated Operation Christmas Child for a number of years, and last year became a regional collection center. According to Marian Hayenga and Joyce Klosterbuer, who spearhead the local effort, gifts from a wide region will be brought to American Reformed Church, where they will be loaded on a semitrailer and taken to the Twin Cities for distribution around the world.
"We have cartons and boxes available to other churches," explained Hayenga about the resources available locally. "Decorated shoeboxes are available, which are a little easier for some people. People can call the church office or one of us to get those."
People can also use their own boxes; they just need to be marked according to gender and age group of the intended recipient. They are also asked to include a $7 donation to cover the costs associated with shipping and delivering each gift.
Area participation in Operation Christmas Child has grown each year, and organizers hope that will be the case again this year, that people will continue to think about others in need around the world even though they've had to tighten their own belts.
"We have a little concern with the economic things," said Hayenga, "and we wonder how that's going to be, if that will affect it. But there are so many people who are helped."
Operation Christmas Child National Collection Week is Nov. 17-24. People can drop off completed shoeboxes at the American Reformed Church from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. during that week.
"The boxes go out, and many of them are delivered by Christmas, but not necessarily to some of the remoter areas," explained Hayenga about the need to get the boxes collected well before December. "For a lot of these people, they don't celebrate Christmas like we do, but because of (Operation Christmas Child), they get something."
For more information, contact American Reformed Church, 376-6517.
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