Jefferson residents help Samaritan’s Purse reach 10 million needy kids this Christmas
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —This month, several locations in the Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson volunteer Marla Cain.
Through local collection points, Jefferson residents hope to contribute more than 44,000 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.
LOCAL COLLECTION SITES:
Birmingham, AL – McElwain Baptist Church
4445 Montevallo Road
Birmingham, AL – Mountain Brook Community Church
3001 Highway 280 E
Birmingham, AL – Dawson Memorial Baptist Church
1114 Oxmoor Road
Trussville, AL – First Baptist Church Trussville
128 N Chalkville Road
Gardendale, AL – Gardendale Baptist Church
316 Mountain Crest Parkway
A full list of area collection locations can be found online.
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 205-915-4241 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.”
