Union County churches and community groups stepped up amidst a season of cancellations and closures and packed 2,979 shoebox gifts for needy children around the world. Shoebox gifts prepared by generous donors were filled with toys, hygiene items and school supplies and were collected during National Collection Week, Nov. 16 – 23, at Milan Baptist Church.
Each shoebox collected will reach the hands of a child who may be receiving his or her very first gift. Every child who receives a shoebox gift will also have the opportunity to hear the gospel message of Jesus Christ.
Union County’s 2,979 shoebox gifts were added to the Cumberland Pathway Area Team’s 2020 totals and together with Campbell, Claiborne and Scott Counties, 9,312 shoebox gifts were collected.
“In a season where we didn’t even know shoebox collections would be an option, God’s people stepped up and answered the call to keep the ministry moving forward, to take the gospel to the ends of the earth,” says Amie Winstead, Area Coordinator for the Cumberland Pathway Area Team.
Operation Christmas Child has been collecting and delivering shoebox gifts to children worldwide for more than two decades. This is a project everyone can still be part of, even with COVID-19 restrictions. If you were unable to pack and deliver a shoebox during National Collection Week, you still have time to make a difference. You can pack a shoebox online at www.samaritanspurse.org/occ.
“This season, children around the world need a tangible reminder that there is hope and that God loves them,” said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse. “Through these shoebox gifts packed with special items, children also receive the opportunity to hear about the eternal hope found in Jesus Christ.”
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 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 178 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 160 countries and territories.
For more information on how you can participate during the 2021 season, please contact Amie Winstead at (865)742-9701 or awinstead.occ@aol.com.