Thousands of Shoeboxes Donated Locally for Operation Christmas Child

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Published on November 21 2017 9:00 am
Last Updated on November 21 2017 9:00 am
Written by Greg Sapp

Thousands of children worldwide will benefit from the shoeboxes full of gifts donated locally through Operation Christmas Child.

Monday was the deadline to turn in shoeboxes at Cornerstone Christian Church on South Banker, the local drop off point. Participants fill the boxes with toys, socks, hygiene items and learning tools. The shoeboxes will be taken to the processing center in Boone, North Carolina and will be distributed to over 100 countries worldwide. 

Operation Christmas Child is a project of the international relief organization, Samaritan's Purse.

Over the past eight days, residents of Effingham and surrounding communities contributed 3,063 shoeboxes. The Effingham Central Drop Off also serves seven drop off centers including Olney, Vandalia, Greenville, Fillmore, Sumner, Robinson and Flora. These centers brought cartons of shoeboxes totaling 10,610, which brings the total shoeboxes collected this year to 13,673.

Sandy Wilson served for the first year as Central Drop Off Team Leader locally, succeeding long-time leader Pat Berry.