Life

Operation Christmas Child kicks off 2013 planning

By Bill Moss, Published: October 7, 2013

Operation Christmas Child will host a celebration and information session Wednesday to kick off the 2013 effort to collect shoeboxes for children the world over.

The event is at 6:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Hendersonville, one of two area locations where donors can drop off shoeboxes packed with toys, school supplies and hygiene items Nov. 18-25. First Presbyterian is also a relay center, receiving shoeboxes from other churches and organizations from the region and crating them for shipment to Charlotte.
Operation Christmas Child, a project of international Christian relief and evangelism organization Samaritan's Purse headed by Franklin Graham, has collected more than 100 million shoebox gifts since 1993. Through simple gifts and a message of hope, children learn they are loved and not forgotten. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Operation Christmas Child hopes to collect 9.8 million gift-filled shoeboxes in 2013, with 36,000 coming from the Hendersonville and Asheville area.
For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child or to find the nearest drop-off site, call (828) 460-4421or visit samaritanspurse.org.