Union County churches, groups and individuals want children in need around the world to receive a gift this Christmas season and to experience the love and hope that can only be found in Jesus Christ.

People from the area partner with the Samaritan’s Purse project, Operation Christmas Child, to make a difference in the lives of children affected by war, disease, disaster, poverty and famine. The annual project takes empty shoeboxes and turns them into gifts—filled with fun toys, school supplies, and hygiene items—that will be delivered to the children. Shoebox gifts become tangible evidence of God’s love.

Each child who receives a shoebox gift is presented with Good News and Great Joy of Jesus Christ. After receiving a shoebox gift, each child can participate in The Greatest Journey, a 12-week discipleship program where they learn how to pray, how to memorize scripture and how to share their faith with others.

Milan Baptist Church serves as Union County’s drop off location and collected 2,595 shoeboxes from local churches, community/student groups and individuals during National Collection Week, November 18-25. These shoeboxes will contribute to the Operation Christmas Child goal of collecting enough shoebox gifts to reach 12 million children this year.

“Operation Christmas Child is a way to let a child know that he or she is not forgotten. Jesus meets them right where they are,” says Amie Winstead, Area Coordinator and year-round volunteer with the project. “What goes into a shoebox on this side is fun but what comes out is changing eternities.” Delivered into the hands of children through local churches, every shoebox gift is an opportunity to share about Jesus Christ and God’s love to many children who will hear of His love for the very first time.

For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, to learn of year-round volunteer opportunities in your area or to view gift suggestions, call Amie Winstead at (865)742-9701 or visit samaritanspurse.org/occ.

If you missed National Collection Week, you still have time to pack a shoebox online. Visit 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 is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham. The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world and, together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 200 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories.