Howell Church Accepting Donations For Operation Christmas Child

HOWELL, NJ — A Howell church is welcoming donations to help deliver Christmas gift-filled shoeboxes to children in other countries through its annual Operation Christmas Child collection week.

Immanuel Bible Church, 1244 West Farms Road, is collecting small toys, hygiene items and school supplies for Operation Christmas Child, which is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, which is the world's largest Christmas project, the church says. Since 1993, more than 100 million shoe box gifts have been delivered to children in more than 130 countries.

If you would like to participate:

• Use an empty cardboard or plastic shoebox.
• Decide whether your gift will be for a boy or a girl and the age category: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14.
• Pack the shoebox with a variety of quality gifts that will bring joy to a child.
• Include $7 per box by check to Samaritan’s Purse (note “OCC” on the memo).
• Ask God to use your gifts to show His love to the child who will receive your shoebox.
• Place a rubber band around each shoebox

Shoeboxes can be dropped off at the church this week:

• Wednesday, Nov. 16, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Thursday, Nov. 17, 5 p.m.-7 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 18, 5 p.m.-7 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 19, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 20, 12:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
• Monday, Nov. 21, 10 a.m.-noon

Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes, by EvelynGiggles, via Flickr, under Creative Commons license