Looking to fill 1,000 shoe boxes

Looking to fill 1,000 shoe boxes

Annual Operation Christmas Child campaign to kick off Nov. 15
November 6, 2010 - By Karin Elton

MARSHALL - Shoes are nice to get for Christmas, but for some, the shoe box is even better.

During the week of Nov. 15-22, local Operation Christmas Child volunteers hope to gather more than 1,000 gift-filled shoe boxes for needy children overseas.

"It's a good outreach," Barb Mesman, an administrative assistant at Radiant Life Church in Marshall, said of Operation Christmas Child. "It's something that everybody can do - kids and adults."

"Kids and adults" can pick up a shoe box at the newly-renamed Radiant Life Church (formerly Calvary Baptist) or they can gift wrap one of their own, Mesman said. "Some people use plastic tote boxes which last for years and years and the kids can use those," she said.

The shoe boxes can be filled with school supplies, toys, hygiene items, hard candy and a personal note.  "Sometimes the children write back," Mesman said.

Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child, a project of international Christian relief and evangelism organization Samaritan's Purse, headed by Franklin Graham, has delivered more than 77 million gift-filled shoe boxes to needy children in some 130 countries.

The church has been the locus for Operation Christmas Child for seven years. Last year it received 932 shoe boxes and hope to hit 1,000 this year.  "It catches on a little more each year," Mesman said.

Holy Redeemer Schools participates in the program as well as Marshall Evangelical Free Church. Marshall Area Christian School also will fill shoe boxes this year.   New to the program this year is Build A Box which allows donors to go online to www.samaritanspurse.org and pack a virtual shoe box gift. Build A Box will be available online from Nov. 23 to Dec. 25.

All donors can use the "Follow Your Box" feature and track the country where their shoe box gift will go.  Mesman said volunteers will be available to receive the boxes from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 15-21 at Radiant Life, 500 S. Saratoga St. in Marshall, 507-532-3414.

"We can get between nine and 14 shoe boxes into a larger cardboard box, depending on the size of the shoe boxes," Mesman said. "It's a big project and it's fun to see all the boxes."

The boxes get sealed up and placed in a moving van which is driven to a drop-off point in Worthington for further shipping.  "Worthington brings them to Minneapolis," she said.

For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call 1-800-353-5949 or visit www.samaritanspurse.org National Collection Week is Nov. 15-22.

MY THOUGHTS

i wouldlove to be part ofsuch a project. maybe i should throw the idea to my church group. a couploe of years ago, i spent a whole day in church wrapping christma gifts for kids. i cannot explain the euphoria. but this "box" idea is very exciting.