Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Collection Week starts Monday and ends Nov.23.
Operation Christmas Child is the non-denominational children’s ministry segment of Samaritan’s Purse, an international evangelistic disaster relief ministry whose CEO is Franklin Graham. Shoeboxes are filled with personal hygiene items, toys, and school supplies and will be delivered to children in need in more than 100 countries.
Last year, this area collected 65,000 shoe boxes, said organizer Carolyn Sparkman.
The boxes are for children ages two to 14 and will also include information on Christianity in child-friendly ways, Sparkman said.
The goal for this area this year is 37,000 boxes, Sparkman said.
“It’s very rewarding and makes a huge difference in a child’s life. Two years ago I went to Paraguay and helped distribute the boxes and the children were so excited,” she said.
Drop-off locations for this area are the following churches:
Trinity Baptist Church in Texarkana, Arkansas
Cross View Baptist Church in Texarkana, Texas
First Baptist Church in DeKalb, Texas
Pinecrest Baptist Church in Linden, Texas
Faith Christian Center in Broken Bow, Oklahoma
Drop-off times for each location can be found at samaritanspurse.org/occ online.
(For more information, contact Billy or Carolyn Sparkman at 903-908-5585.)
