Operation Christmas Child gift recipient to speak April 13

The Operation Christmas Child shoebox program will be the focus of a presentation at 5 p.m., Saturday, April 13, at Long Neck United Methodist Church, 32052 Long Neck Road, Millsboro.

For years, Lewes families have packed shoebox gifts for boys and girls around the world.

When she was a young girl in the Philippines, speaker Analyn Elliott was filled with immense joy when she received one of these presents. She will share how the simple gift had a life-changing impact.

Operation Christmas Child’s National Collection Week will run from Monday, Nov. 18 to Monday, Nov. 25, when local residents can bring gift-filled shoeboxes to multiple drop-off locations across the area that will be announced in late October. Elliott wants to encourage residents to fill more shoeboxes with fun toys, school supplies and personal care items, contributing to the global goal of reaching 12 million children.

For more information, call 410-772-7360 or go to samaritanspurse.org/occ. Participants can donate $10 per shoebox gift online through Follow Your Box and receive a tracking label to discover its destination. Those who prefer the convenience of online shopping can go to samaritanspurse.org/buildonline to select gifts matched to a child’s specific age and gender, then finish packing the virtual shoebox by adding a photo and personal note of encouragement.

Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan's Purse, seeks to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 220 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories.