It’s Shoebox Time In Tennessee!!!

Operation Christmas Child National Collection Week: Nov. 14-21, 2011

Scott County, TN (2011-01-02) In Scott County homes, businesses, schools, and churches, people are piling up shoe boxes…filled not with shoes, but toys, school supplies and necessity items, lovingly selected for a child in need. Many Scott County kids are participating in Operation Christmas Child, the world’s largest Christmas project of its kind, to make a statement to needy children worldwide: “You are not forgotten!”

Operation Christmas Child uses simple gift-filled shoe boxes to let hurting children know that they are loved. Kids, families, groups, businesses and schools pack and wrap empty shoe box gifts with items most people take for granted, including toothpaste, toys and pencils, and drop them off the Scott County collection site. The shoe boxes are then processed and prepared to be hand-delivered to children worldwide using whatever means necessary—sea containers, trucks, trains, airplanes, helicopters, boats, elephants and dog sleds.

Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected 86 million shoe box gifts and hand-delivered them to impoverished children in more than 130 countries. This year, Operation Christmas Child hopes to collect another 8.5 million gift-filled shoe boxes.

“In Scott County, we’re aiming to contribute 1200 shoe box gifts,” said Dr. Jessica H. Chambers, volunteer area coordinator for Scott County. “It’s a big goal, but I believe we can reach it. Scott County kids realize that as tough as things are here, there are children around the world who have so much less. This small sacrifice can have lifelong impact on a needy child.”

Anyone can participate in Operation Christmas Child. National Collection Week is November 14-21, 2011. Locally shoe boxes will be collected at the Boys and Girls Club of Scott County in Oneida. Drop off hours are: Monday, November 14, 2011 to Thursday, November 17, 2011, 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Friday, November 18, 2011, 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.; Saturday, November 19, 2011, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Sunday, November 20, 2011, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and Monday, November 21, 2011, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Operation Christmas Child uses tracking technology that allows donors to “follow” their shoe box to find out the destination country where it will be hand-delivered to a child in need.

Operation Christmas Child is a project of international Christian relief and evangelism organization Samaritan’s Purse, headed by Franklin Graham. While Samaritan’s Purse works to meet critical physical needs, such as clean water, health care and food, Operation Christmas Child addresses a need for which children are just as desperate—the need to have hope and feel loved.

For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call locally (423) 539-1112 or visit www.samaritanspurse.org/occ.