With Thanksgiving Day right around the corner, Idahoans are sharing their gratitude for the holidays by giving back. Residents are filling shoe boxes with fun toys, school supplies, and hygiene items to send to children in need around the world. For many of these children, it will be the first gift they have ever received.
Samaritan's Purse is hosting their annual "Operation Christmas Child's National Collection Week". Shoebox collections began Monday, November 12th and will continue until November 19th. Local residents can collect a shoebox to fill or completed box at 7 drop-off locations in the Boise/ Southwest Idaho area. The Samaritan’s Purse project partners with churches worldwide and will deliver these gifts to children affected by war, disease, disaster, poverty, and famine. The Boise/ Southwest Idaho Area Team volunteers hope to collect more than 17,000 gifts.
For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call 253-572-1155, or visit samaritanspurse.org/occ [samaritanspurse.org]. 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 the website 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.
