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Published Monday, November 17, 2008 in Local

Operation Christmas Child: 'It's shoebox time again'

By Winston Skinner

The Times-Herald

"It's shoebox time again."

Longtime Operation Christmas Child volunteer Doug Ray uttered those words as he and Keith Bates worked to get a banner in place on Smokey Road -- notifying people from throughout the region of the location for collection of the boxes of Christmas gifts for children around the world. Bates and Ray put the banner in place as the annual process of gathering and packing boxes for shipping to the distribution center got under way Monday morning.

The area collection site for OCC boxes is again the multi-purpose building at Unity Baptist Church. The collection continues through Nov. 24 -- meaning folks who want to do a box still have a few days to prepare one and get it ready.

Hours at the collection center will be -- weekdays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-noon; and Monday, 2-5 p.m.

June Keeble, who has headed the local OCC project since its inception, was at the multi-purpose building on Monday morning. Richard Green, who was there with his wife Dianne, said, "The first day is kind of helter skelter."

OCC involves volunteers who fill shoeboxes with toys, stuffed animals, school supplies and brushes, combs, toothbrushes and toothpaste. Some children around the world have never had something as simple as a hair brush, a toy ball or even a simple writing tablet.

Operation Christmas Child, which is a project of international Christian relief organization Samaritan's Purse, headed by Franklin Graham, seeks to get boxes to 8 million children in more than 100 countries.

Children, families, churches, school groups and civic organizations are playing an important role in helping to reach out to children around the world who are suffering from natural disaster, war, terrorism, disease, poverty and famine -- through gift-filled shoe boxes. The world's largest Christmas project hand-delivers the shoe boxes. In addition to toys and other goodies, boxes often include a hand-written note of encouragement.

Several Cowetans have gotten a written response from a child who received an Operation Christmas Child box they prepared.

Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has hand-delivered shoe box gifts to more than 61 million children in some 130 countries. Staff and volunteers use whatever means necessary -- ships, trucks, buses, trains, airplanes, helicopters, boats, camels, even dog sleds -- to reach the youngsters.

"This is a wonderful chance to teach children in this country about generosity and compassion, and bring hope and joy to hurting children in other countries," said Lisa Cloudt, volunteer and Atlanta-area coordinator for Operation Christmas Child.

Atlanta OCC volunteer Karen Lin said there will be an Operation Christmas Child processing center in the Atlanta region again this year. Several people from Coweta County have helped with work at the processing center in years past.