The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Christmas box donation sites announced
TORRINGTON — This month, sites in Litchfield County will be among 5,000 U.S. drop-off locations collecting shoebox gifts for children overseas during Operation Christmas Child’s National Collection Week, Nov. 12-19.
Torrington families, churches and groups are busy transforming empty shoeboxes into fun gifts filled with toys, school supplies and hygiene items. The Samaritan’s Purse project partners with local churches across the globe to deliver gifts to children affected by war, disease, disaster, poverty and famine. For many of these children, it will be the first gift they have ever received.
This year, Litchfield county residents hope to collect more than 12,816 gifts to contribute to the 2018 global goal of reaching 11 million children.
“We are honored to be linking arms with our community to help children around the world experience the true meaning of Christmas,” said Regional Director Cecil Pollydore. “These simple gifts show God’s love to children facing difficult circumstances.”
Local donation sites: Gateway Bible Church, 500 Buckingham St., Oakville, Nov. 12, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Nov. 13, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Nov. 14-16, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Nov. 17, 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Nov. 18, 1-6 p.m.
Sharon Congregational Church, 25 Main St., Sharon, Nov. 12, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Nov. 13, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Nov. 14, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Nov. 15-16, 6-8 p.m., Nov. 17-18, 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Nov. 19, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call 518-437-0690 or visit samaritanspurse.org/occ. Participants can donate $9 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 browse 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 157 million giftfilled shoeboxes to children in more than 160 countries and territories.