Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes Fill the Valleys

For the past few weeks local churches and families have gathered supplies and packed shoeboxes for the annual Operation Christmas Child (OCC) National Collection Week, Nov. 16-23.

For many, this is an annual event at their church to brighten a Christmas for a child who may never have received a gift. For others, sharing the message of Jesus Christ along with toys, hygiene products and school supplies with someone they will never meet is a way to show their love for others.

Since 1993, Samaritan's Purse, a nondenominational evangelical Christmas organization based out of North Carolina, has organized OCC. The mission of OCC is to demonstrate God's love in a tangible way to needy children around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. When they started they brought 28,000 shoe boxes to war-torn Romania. This year, the project hopes to collect enough shoebox gifts to reach more than 11 million children in more than 150 countries.

"Operation Christmas Child is all about everyday people packing a gift for children in a third world country," said Greg Reinhardt, OCC regional project coordinator for Missoula, Mineral, Granite and Ravalli counties. "For most of the children this is the first time they have received a gift in their life. We are also able to share the Gospel with a child. Lives have been changed."

Donna McCormick and her husband Bill of Bonner, Mont. have organized the OCC project at the Potomac Bible Church for the past seven years.

"I didn't get much for Christmas when I was a kid," said McCormick who was raised by a single mother with seven siblings in a one-bedroom house. "At Christmas we were lucky to get a new outfit."

McCormick said that the Salvation Army would bring a box of apples, oranges, hard candy and nuts, another box full of toys and a Christmas dinner complete with a turkey or ham and all the trimmings.

"I always remember that the Salvation Army made my Christmas," said McCormick. "These Christmas shoe boxes are the only present many of [the children] are going to get. I enjoy it and will do it as long as I can afford to."

McCormick organized volunteers from her church and invited those that wanted to be involved from the Blackfoot Community Church and members of the community. McCormick shops throughout the year, stockpiling the majority of the items to go in the boxes. Other people in the community also donate items for the packing party.

While the program started with 12 boxes the first year McCormick was in charge, she said that this year about 100 boxes were sent out. They have packed up to 200 in the past. The group prayed over the packed boxes before they were sent.

Some of McCormick's favorite things to include in the boxes are flip-flops and flashlights in addition to the recommended items. She gets ideas from watching testimonies on the OCC website.

"Once I learned about [OCC] I had to get involved," said McCormick. "I just love children. My heart goes out to kids that don't get much."

Seeley Lake resident Shirley Erickson volunteered with the group at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Seeley Lake. Sue Criswell started the project at the church and got everyone else excited about it by showing a video of the children opening their boxes.

"It looked like a real need," said Erickson. The group sent out 35 boxes this year.

Swan Valley eighth-grader Jayla Kauffman organized the shoebox drive at Condon Community Church this year after past organizer Julie Morgan graduated from high school. Condon Community Church has participated in OCC for the past 10 years. Kauffman has packed boxes for the past five years with her family and helped with the church effort for the past couple of years.

"I thought it would be kind of fun to lead a project that helps other kids in different countries that don't get gifts like I do," said Kauffman.

The church collected donations for the past month. Nearly 20 volunteers showed up at the packing party Nov. 14 at Condon Community Church to enjoy pizza and packing 132 boxes.

"My family went into town and bought stuff for the boxes," said Kauffman. "I got to spend everyone else's money and pick out different toys. It's fun to know that we are helping someone across the sea."

Seeley Lake sixth-grader Grace Wilson has been packing a shoebox every year since she was two years old.

"I do it because there are kids around the world that don't have enough money and don't get a gift at Christmas," said Wilson. "I want them to feel loved."

Wilson helped with the group at Mission Bible Fellowship (MBF) that packed 35 boxes Nov. 7. MBF has been packing boxes since OCC started. Member Amanda Fowler led the project for MBF this year.

It was Fowler's children who got her thinking about leading the effort at MBF this year. They were going through their toys when they asked if someone else would like this. She has been participating in OCC since she was 16 years old.

"We get together and think about all the ways a gift can change a life," said Fowler about the packing party. Many of the children at MBF colored pictures to send in the boxes. They also traced their hand and wrote in it "Pray with me."

Reinhardt's goal for this region is to collect 10,000 boxes. Anyone can pack a shoe box and drop it off at three different locations in Missoula: Hope Baptist Church, 7498 Zaugg Drive; Clark Fork City Church, 2811 Latimer Street or Christian Life Center, 3801 S. Russell Street.

Shoebox Drop-Off locations will be accepting boxes until 3 p.m. Nov. 23. Donations are accepted year round and can be mailed to the Samarian's Purse headquarters in Boone, N.C.

For more information about OCC, how to get involved or for more drop off locations visit http://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/