• 
• CLASS
• JOBS
• AUTO
• HOMES

‘Operation Christmas Child’ slated

DELAVAN — Delavan families, businesses, schools and churches are joining an international project, ‘Operation Christmas Child’ this week, filling empty shoe boxes with toys, school supplies and necessity items for impoverished children around the world.

November 12-19, packed gifts will be dropped off at the collection site at Delavan Christian School, 848 Oak St., Delavan. Collection hours for this week are Monday and Wednesday, 3-6 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday., noon to 6 p.m.; Friday, noon to 4 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon,; Sunday, 2-4 p.m. and next Monday, Nov. 19 8 a.m. to noon.

Once dropped off, the shoe boxes are processed, prepared and transported to suffering children in more than 100 countries using whatever means necessary—trains, airplanes, boats, elephants, bikes and even dog sleds—to get the shoe boxes into the hands of needy kids.

By using special tracking technology, participants can “follow” their shoe box and discover the country in which their gift will be hand-delivered to a child in need. To register your shoe box gift, use the “Follow Your Box” form online.

In 2012, Operation Christmas Child expects to reach a milestone—collecting and delivering shoe boxes to more than 100 million children since the project began in 1993. Delavan residents hope to contribute hundreds of shoe box gifts to this year’s global collection goal of 9 million gift-filled shoe boxes in order to help surpass the 100 million milestone.

Operation Christmas Child, a project of international Christian relief and evangelism organization Samaritan’s Purse, headed by Franklin Graham, is the world’s largest Christmas project of its kind. Through the power of a simple gift and the message of hope through Jesus Christ, children learn they are loved and not forgotten. For many of these children, the shoe box gift will be the first gift they’ve ever received.

Anyone can participate in Operation Christmas Child. For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, or to find the nearest drop-off site, call (612) 359-7025 or visit www.SamaritansPurse.org/OCC.