Operation Christmas Child collecting toys
The Christmas holiday is right around the corner and Samaritan’s Purse is collecting presents for needy children around the world.
Operation Christmas Child is one of the world’s largest projects of its kind.
The project involves packaging items such as toys, clothes, pens, paper and hygiene items, and sending them off to children ages 2-14 around the world.
Operation Christmas Child is an umbrella organization of Samaritan’s Purse.
Wall Highway Baptist Church is Madison’s official drop off center. From there, presents will be shipped to Atlanta where they will be sorted by age and gender before being shipped off.
“It is an amazing opportunity to provide for children,” said Co-coordinator Shirley Carlton. “This is an opportunity that we can all be involved in, even if it’s just one child.”
Most of the presents are delivered in decorative shoeboxes, but Carlton said presents can be brought to the church in any sealed container.
A $7 mailing fee isn’t required, but encouraged.
To date, Operation Christmas Child has delivered more than 86 million gifts to kids worldwide.
Wall Highway will be accepting boxes of gifts from Nov. 14 to Nov. 21.
Carlton said Hope Church sponsored the event, but five years ago, her church was contacted to take over.
“I went to the pastor and they said we could do it,” she said. “We had a couple of people who were in charge of it and it has gone from there.”
Christian tracts are put in the shoeboxes that are in that child’s language.
“I’ve always packed things I know my children enjoy playing with,” Carlton said. “Whatever the age level, I make that box that.”
For more information, visit the site at SamaritansPurse.org.
Collection site days and times:
Wall Highway Baptist Church 6597 Wall Triana Highway
Operating Hours: Monday: 3 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Tuesday: 3 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Wednesday: 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. Thursday: 3 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Friday: 3 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Saturday: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Sunday: 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Monday Nov. 21: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
