Operation Christmas Child gives parents teaching tool

By Lois Mittino Gray

The deadline for the beloved tradition of filling shoeboxes at Christmas time to go overseas as part of “Operation Christmas Child” is nearing and due the week of November 16. There are two places to deliver them in Posey County. They are Mount Zion General Baptist Church in Wadesville and First United Methodist Church in Mount Vernon. This year, it can even be done online!

Samaritan’s Purse, the program sponsor, is now offering the opportunity to build and customize a shoebox through an official online portal. Interested persons need to go to the SP Website and select an age and gender. Choose whether your gift is for a boy or a girl, and pick an age category (2–4, 5–9, or 10–14 years old). You may select from a catalog of toys, school supplies, and hygiene items to fill your virtual box. It is also encouraged to upload a personal photo of yourself and write a letter of encouragement to the child receiving the box. A $30 donation covers the items, packing, and shipping of your online shoebox, and generates a tracking label to see the destination country so you can do follow-up on your kind gesture.

Marcia (Schneider) Reich, who has volunteered fifteen years at the Mount Vernon site, is excited about the new online possibilities, but still enjoys receiving the boxes in person at the church. She loves to see what contributors have selected to include and she makes sure all boxes are packed correctly before shipping them off to distribution clearing houses.

Sara Pierce, longtime coordinator at Mount Zion Church, wrote in a letter to prospective donors, “I love how these boxes can change so many lives, even our own. For me personally, I look around more to see where needs are in my community and how I can help. We need to live our faith every day and stand strong working together. Be bold and brave in our faith.”

Both ladies suggest packing some fun “wow” items (dolls, soccer balls, stuffed animals) along with school supplies (pencils, notebooks, stickers, erasers, pens, calculator, pencil sharpener), personal care items (toothbrushes, combs, washcloth) , and clothing (socks and scarves). Accessories such as a handkerchief, sunglasses, socks, hairbands, hats are welcome as well as toys such as small cars, trucks, balls, playing cards, coloring books and crayons, jump ropes, yoyos, kazoos and harmonicas. Craft kits and band aids and first aid kits are good, too.

Some things are not allowed such as toothpaste, soap, candy, chocolate, food, gum, military/war-related items, liquids and lotions, medicines, aerosol cans, glass items or breakable objects.

These are just suggestions. You may find other items for donation; just remember it has to fit in the shoebox. Use a standard-sized plastic or cardboard shoebox (or order official boxes via the Samaritan’s Purse Preprinted Shoeboxes Page). Secure the lid with rubber bands rather than tape. Include a $10 donation per each actual box to cover shipping and handling (which also lets you track your box).

Mount Vernon collection days begin the week of Monday, November 16 until Sunday, November 22. Times are 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 3 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Mount Zion hours are varied: 11/16 1 p.m. - 5 p.m; 11/17 9 a.m. - 3.p.m; 11/18: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m;

11/19 9 a.m. - 1 p.m; 11/20: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m; 11/21 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Their Sunday hours are 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Zion also added some time on Monday, 11/23 from 8 a.m. – noon. Pierce said if a person or group needs different times to contact her.

Mount Zion General Baptist Church is located at 1425 Oliver Road North in Wadesville, off Springfield Road. First Methodist Church is located at 601 Main Street in Mount Vernon.

It’s a wonderful opportunity to begin a Christmas season of kindness.