Trending
More than 4,000 boxes filled with toys and other gifts left a Minot collection center Monday to begin their journey into the hands of children around the world.
First Assembly of God Church in Minot, for the second year, served as collection point for Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse. Zion Lutheran Church coordinated the drive previously.
This year, more than 60 churches and other groups from more than 28 communities contributed 4,495 boxes that left First Assembly on a semi-trailer headed for Bismarck and eventually Minneapolis for processing. Christmas boxes from the Upper Midwest this year are destined for Tanzania, Uganda, India, Belize, Trinidad and Tobago, according to information provided to local organizers.
Last year’s drive collected shoebox gifts for nearly 10 million children, of which 4,390 boxes came from Minot-area donors. Minot’s boxes this year were among 11,437 boxes received at the Bismarck Collection Center, which took up about 380 boxes more than last year. In addition to boxes collected at centers, people are able to pack personalized shoebox gifts online by selecting from items available through the Operation Christmas Child website. Shoeboxes are filled with toys, school supplies, hygiene items and notes of encouragement.
Operation Christmas Child is the world’s largest Christmas project of its kind. It uses gift-filled shoeboxes to share God’s love in a tangible way with needy children around the world. Since 1993, Samaritan’s Purse has delivered more than 113 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in than 150 countries. More than 500,000 volunteers, including 100,000 in the United States, are involved in collecting, shipping and distributing shoebox gifts.
Vangie Johnson, Minot relay center coordinator, said the boxes will be given out throughout the coming months as the project is able to logistically get into the countries for distribution. Even if the distribution can’t occur until after Dec. 25, the excitement for the children is the same, Johnson said.
“Kids still get to have a Christmas,” she said.