This month, Sapa Baptist Church in Eupora will be among 5,000 U.S. drop-off locations collecting shoebox gifts for children overseas during Operation Christmas Child's National Collection Week, Monday-Nov. 25.
Webster County 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 these tangible expressions of God's love 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, area residents hope to collect more than 39,000 gifts to contribute to the 2019 global goal of reaching 11 million children.
"I love seeing the local community rally together for a global impact," said Regional Director Shelli Wishard. "We see all ages getting involved — and more and more every year."
Sapa Baptist Church is located at 165 N. Sapa Road. Collection hours there are 8-11 a.m. and 3:30-5:30 p.m. Monday, 8-11:30 a.m. Tuesday, 2-6 p.m. Nov. 20, 8-12:30 p.m. Nov. 21, 2-5:30 p.m. Nov. 22, 8 a.m.-noon Nov. 23, 2-5:30 p.m. Nov. 24 and 7:30-9:30 a.m. Nov. 25.
Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan's Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham. The mission of OCC 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.
