For Operation Christmas Child volunteers in West Virginia, across the country and around the world, this is the week they spend all year preparing for — collection week.
Thousands of the familiar red and green shoe boxes are pouring into collection sites, bound for destinations and recipients yet unknown.
Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 168 million gift-filled boxes to children in 160-plus countries and territories.
The philanthropy is a mission of Samaritan’s Purse, a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization.
Ronda Dalton is OCC’s area coordinator overseeing Monongalia, Marion and Preston counties.
She said the three-county region produced just over 9,000 boxes last year. This year, she said, local volunteers have their sights set on hitting 12,000.
The organization aims to collect about 9.1 million boxes nationwide and a total of 11 million with international partners thrown in.
“As soon as collection week ends, we begin preparing for the next year,” Dalton said, explaining that year-round efforts focus on educating those unfamiliar with the program and affirming the continued participation of organizations and churches.
All the boxes in Dalton’s region will eventually make their way to CMA Church, off Patteson Drive, in Morgantown, before being trucked to a processing center in Charlotte, N.C.
Dalton explained she got the opportunity to go to Tanzania in June to help deliver the gifts.
“It was incredible,” she said. “There was a young girl who just really touched my heart. She was so excited that she had received a toothbrush and a comb. The joy of those kids. There was a baby who got a rubber ducky in his box, and he was kissing it and showing it to everyone. He was so, so excited. That kind of stuff really makes you feel just how much we take for granted in our country.”
Information about the program, including gift suggestions and drop-off times is available at samaritanspurse.org. Operation Christmas Child is on a drop down list under “What we do.”
Along with CMA Church (308 Elmhurst St.), boxes can also be dropped off at Chestnut Ridge Church (2223 Cheat Road).
In Marion County, boxes can be dropped off at Central United Methodist Church (301 Fairmont Ave., Fairmont) and First Baptist Church (110 Clarksburg St., Mannington).
In Preston County, boxes can be dropped off at Mill Chapel Church (6732 Kingwood Pike).
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