Bring your donations for Operation Christmas Child shoe box gifts

Updated with corrected phone number 11 a.m. Nov. 17

Families across the Fox Valley are on a mission to make an impact in the lives of children in need. They are donating colorfully wrapped shoe box gifts to be sent to children around the world - many of whom have never received a gift before and have very little to call their own.

Nov. 13-20 is Operation Christmas Child's National Collection Week, when area residents will collect shoe box gifts filled with toys, school supplies and hygiene items.

The Samaritan's Purse project will deliver these gifts to children affected by war, disease, disaster, poverty and famine. The Northwest Suburban Chicago Area Team volunteers have a goal of collecting more than 14,700 gifts during the week.

"It's exciting to think of the impact our efforts will have in the life of each child who receives a shoe box," said Regional Director Nicole Sheldon. "We can't wait to see how our community will respond this year to share God's love with children across the globe."

These residents are not alone in their effort to help children around the world. More than 150,000 volunteers, including families, churches and other groups, are joining forces to contribute to the largest Christmas project of its kind.

In 2017, Operation Christmas Child hopes to collect enough shoe box gifts to reach 12 million children, with 14,700 coming from the Northwest Suburban Chicago Area Team Area Team.

For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, or to view gift suggestions, call (612) 359-7025 or visit samaritanspurse.org/occ.

Participants can donate $9 per shoe box gift online through "Follow Your Box" and receive a tracking label to discover its destination. Those who prefer the convenience of online shopping can browse samaritanspurse.org/buildonline to select gifts matched to a child's specific age and gender, then finish packing the virtual shoe box by adding a photo and personal note of encouragement.

Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan's Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham. The mission of Operation Christmas Child 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.

Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 146 million gift-filled shoe boxes to children in more than 160 countries and territories.