Operation Christmas Child collections continue through weekend

Collections for Operation Christmas Child will continue through the weekend at two Poplar Bluff drop off points, Temple Baptist Church and Second Baptist Church.

The international effort provides school supplies, Christmas presents and faith-based materials to more than 11 million children every year.

This is the 15th year Temple Baptist has served as a local collection site, said coordinator Carol Morgan. It is the second year for Second Baptist.

The two churches expect to collect about 3,000 boxes for the effort, which will then be sent on to processing centers for the organizing charity Samaritan’s Purse.

“I believe in the project because, first of all, it’s based in prayer, and second of all, because the gospel is shared with the children before they get their boxes, with pamphlets in their own language,” Morgan said.

Operation Christmas Child asks for donations of shoe boxes filled with items for needy children, including school supplies, toys, hygiene items and clothing. Each box is packed with a boy or girl in mind, in a specific age range.

The boxes are delivered to more than 100 countries, along with faith-based educational materials. Many of the children who receive the boxes also enroll in a discipleship program.

“A lot of times, if the children don’t have school supplies, they can’t go to school,” said Second Baptist coordinator Connie Cox. “Some of the children are in orphanages and have never had anything of their own. These shoe boxes provide clothes, religion.”

Second Baptist raises money year-round for the effort, said Cox, adding the church has packed more than 600 of its own boxes from these collections.

Cox first began volunteering with Operation Christmas Child at Temple Baptist, and was inspired by the work done there.

When the Poplar Bluff site regularly began collecting more than 3,000 boxes per year, organizers were encouraged to open a second collection site, Morgan said.

“Operation Christmas Child is one of the largest Christmas projects of its kind,” she said.

Suggestions for items to include in each box are: a toy; a piece of clothing; personal hygiene items; school supplies; craft activities; and personal notes.

Boxes should be packed for a boy or girl, and for a specific age range: 2-4 years; 5-9 years; and 10-14 years.

Do not include: Candy; toothpaste; gum; used or damaged items; war-related items such as toy guns, knives, or military figures; chocolate or food; seeds; fruit rolls or other fruit snacks; drink mixes (powdered or liquid); liquids or lotions; medications or vitamins; breakable items such as snow globes or glass containers; aerosol cans.

Drop off times for Temple Baptist (2608 Charlton Lane) are: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday; 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday; and 8:30-10 a.m. Monday.

Drop off times for Second Baptist (503 W. Pine St.) are: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday; noon to 4 p.m. Saturday; and 2-4 p.m. Sunday.

A donation of $9 is also required to help with shipping. If this is paid online, participants can track their box to its destination at https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/follow-your-box/ .

Boxes can also be packed online at https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/buildonline/ .

Other area drop off locations include: First Assembly of God in Ellsinore; Emmanuel Baptist Church in Doniphan; Lighthouse Christian Center in Dexter; Stokelan Drive Christian Church in Malden; and Tabernacle Baptist Church in Piedmont.