St. Charles County Opens Drop-Off Locations For Global Children’s Christmas Charity

Five locations in St. Charles County will serve as collection sites this year for the Samaritan’s Purse project Operation Christmas Child—the world’s largest Christmas project of its kind.

During National Collection Week, Nov. 14 – 21, St. Charles residents will donate shoeboxes—filled with school supplies, hygiene items, notes of encouragement and fun toys, such as a doll or soccer ball—for Operation Christmas Child to deliver to children in need around the world. This year, local residents hope to contribute more than 17,000 shoebox gifts toward the 2016 global goal of reaching 12 million children.

“The shoebox gifts donated by volunteers at these drop-off locations will shine a light of hope to children living in poverty overseas,” said St. Charles volunteer Pat Moore, who serves as the drop-off location coordinator at First Baptist Church of St. Charles. “Anyone is welcome to pack a shoebox and help a child facing difficult circumstances to feel loved and not forgotten.”

ST. CHARLES COUNTY COLLECTION SITES:

Dardenne Presbyterian Church
7400 S. Outer 364
O’Fallon, MO 63368

OPERATING HOURS:
Monday, Nov. 14, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 15, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 16, 12 p.m. - 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 17, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 18, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 19, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 20, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 21, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Element Church
100 Mall Parkway, Suite 500
Wentzville, MO 63385

OPERATING HOURS:

Monday, Nov. 14, 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 15, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 16, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 17, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 18, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 19, 4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 20, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 21, 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.

First Baptist Church of St. Charles
2701 Muegge Road
St. Charles, MO 63303-3036

OPERATING HOURS:
Monday, Nov. 14, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 15, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 16, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 17, 4 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 18, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 19, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 20, 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 21, 8 a.m. - 10 a.m.

Grace Community Chapel
7661 Mexico Road
St. Peters, MO 63376

OPERATING HOURS:
Monday, Nov. 14, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 15, 4 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 16, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 17, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 18, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 19, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 20, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 21, 8 a.m. - 10 a.m.

St. Charles Christian Church
3337 Rue Royale
St. Charles, MO 63301

OPERATING HOURS:
Monday, Nov. 14, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 15, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 16, 5:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 17, 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 18, 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 19, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 20, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 21, 9 a.m. - 11 a.m

For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call Janet Howard at 314-291-0983 or visit samaritanspurse.org/occ. By going online to give the suggested donation of $7 per shoebox gift, participants can follow their box to discover where in the world it will be delivered. They can also pack a shoebox gift online and even upload a photo and 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 135 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 150 countries and territories. For many of these children, the gift-filled shoebox is the first gift they have ever received.