San Gabriel Valley Residents Prepare For Collection Of 44,000 Gifts For Children Overseas

Volunteers from around the San Gabriel Valley are kicking off the Samaritan’s Purse project’s collection season. Empty shoeboxes will be packed throughout the fall—with fun toys, school supplies and hygiene items—and collected at several area locations Nov. 13 ­– 20.

The San Gabriel Valley drop-off locations will be the first stop on a journey across the world for thousands of gifts packed by local residents. The boxes are then prepared and delivered to children overseas using whatever means necessary—boats, airplanes, trains and even elephants.

For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child or to view gift suggestions, call 714-432-7030 or visit samaritanspurse.org/occ.

Participants can donate $9 per shoebox gift online through “Follow Your Box” and receive a tracking label to discover its destination.

Those who prefer the convenience of online shopping can browse samaritanspurse.org/buildonline to select gifts matched to a child’s specific age and gender, then finish packing the virtual shoebox by adding a photo and personal note of encouragement.

Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham. The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world and, together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 146 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 160 countries and territories.

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