Press Release
“Operation Christmas Child” is the world’s largest Christmas program.
Participants of any age can fill shoe boxes with a variety of school supplies, toys, hygiene products, and even a personal note/picture.
The boxes travel around the world using every form of transportation imaginable—from trucks to boats to planes to the backs of camels.
Many of the children who get a shoe box from “Operation Christmas Child” are being given the first gift they have ever received.
The “Operation Christmas Child” project opens doors for Samaritan’s Purse to provide children, families, and communities with access to safe water, food, clothing, shelter, medical assistance, and/or educational resources.
The boxes are ready to go and available for pick-up at area collection centres, including Northland Basics and The Bargain Shop in Fort Frances, Tompkins Hardware and Calvary Baptist Church in Emo, and Trinity Lutheran in Bergland.
The 2010 National Collection Week is Nov. 14-21.
This year, our collection centre at Bethel Baptist Church (behind the Adventure Inn) would like to hold a gift-packing party just before the Nov. 21 deadline.
Anyone not able to fill a box, but still wanting to participate, can purchase suggested gift items to be collectively put into boxes at this time, or they can make donations to cover the suggested $7 donation for each shoe box packed during the party.
If you would like to attend, please leave your name and number to be contacted when a date is determined.
If you have any questions about the program, or are a business or church from Rainy River District and want to become an intermediary centre, call the Fort Frances Collection Centre co-ordinator, Della McQuaker, at 486-3595 or Pastor Dave Groff at Bethel Baptist Church (274-5569).
