Sunday, November 12, 2000
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Sunday, November 12, 2000 |
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Operation Christmas Child gearing up for holidays
By PAT NEWMAN It's hard to imagine a Fayette County child getting excited about a shoe box filled with a pack of crayons, a pad of paper, small toys and a toothbrush and toothpaste for Christmas, but thousands of boys and girls living in desperate circumstances around the world would be thrilled. With 900 boxes already packed into a semi-trailer parked at New Hope Baptist Church in Fayetteville and hundreds more gifts stacking up in churches all over the county for Operation Christmas Child, this holiday season promises to be a little bit brighter for many children who would otherwise be left empty-handed. The trailer is filled with boxes from New Hope families, and additional donations from area churches are expected in the coming weeks. Individuals may also prepare a box and drop it off at the gazebo on the square in Fayetteville on Saturday, Nov. 25 and Sat., Dec. 2 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. According to Sharon Shank, who is coordinating Operation Christmas Child, the project is not just about reaching children with gift-filled shoeboxes. "It's about sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with them through Christian literature distributed with the shoeboxes," Shank explained. This project of Christian relief and evangelism is part of Samaritan's Purse, a nonprofit organization chaired by Franklin Graham with headquarters in Boone, N.C. To take part in this very personal Christmas activity, wrap an empty shoe box with holiday wrap, keeping the lid separate from the rest of the box. "Decide whether your gift will be for a boy or girl and their age category: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14. Mark the box with the age and gender," Shank said. "You may enclose a note to the child and a photo of yourself or your family." Enclosing a check for $5 payable to Samaritan's Purse is also suggested to defray the cost of shipping and handling, Shank noted. Once the box is filled, wrap it with an elastic band and deliver it to the gazebo. Suggested gifts include toys such as small cars, balls, stuffed animals, yo-yos; school supplies like pencils, paper, coloring books, markers, hygiene items such as toothbrushes, soap, toothpaste and combs, or miscellaneous items such as hard candy, hair-clips, socks, gum, flashlights, etc. Do not include any war-related toys such as guns or knives, perishable items, liquids, used items, medicines, or breakables. Persons wishing to volunteer at the gazebo may phone Linda at 770-964-0337 or Sharon at 678-776-8019 to take collections at the truck. The Atlanta Operation Christmas Child Processing Center in Marietta prepares all the shoeboxes from the area for shipment overseas, Hours of operation are Nov. 18 through Dec. 8 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Volunteers from seventh grade age and above are needed. Phone 770-690-9640 to volunteer.
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