Local Families Joining Global, Year-Round Effort to Help 8 Million Suffering Children—While Teaching Lessons in Generosity

BOWLING GREEN, Ky., Oct. 2, 2008—U.S. kids have no time to waste helping to bring joy to millions of needy boys and girls this holiday season.  Sending hope to hurting children worldwide is a full-time, year-round effort that requires the contagious compassion of local Bowling Green families right now!

Operation Christmas Child, the world’s largest Christmas project, is calling on local kids, families, churches, businesses, schools, scout troops and civic organizations to join this massive effort by sending shoe box gifts to children overseas who are suffering from disease, famine, war, terrorism and natural disaster.

“A shoe box gift might be the only gift a child has ever received,” said Lance Kaufman, Mid-South regional director for the project. “A gift like this can make a big difference. It lets an overseas child know that someone really does care about them.”

Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child, a project of international Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse, has collected and hand-delivered more than 61 million shoe box gifts to hurting kids in some 130 countries.

While the international impact is huge, the project has a big impact on the domestic families who pack the shoeboxes.

“This is such a valuable chance to teach children in this country about generosity and compassion, not to mention bringing hope and joy to hurting children in other countries,” Kaufman said.

WHY NOW—MONTHS BEFORE THE HOLIDAY SEASON?

Although National Collection Week is Nov. 17-24, Operation Christmas Child is not limited to just one week a year or during the holiday season.  It is a year-round project, requiring months of organization and preparation to reach millions of kids around the world.  Volunteers and shoe box gifts are needed during all seasons to help spread Christmas cheer and the spirit of giving that lasts all year long.

HOW TO HELP:

PREPARE—Enlist families, churches, community groups and businesses to take part in making shoe box gifts for needy children.

PACK—Fill shoe boxes with toys, necessity items, school supplies, candy and a letter of encouragement. PROCESS—Sign up to join thousands of Operation Christmas Child volunteers this fall, at one of hundreds of collection sites across Kentucky, to collect and prepare millions of shoe box gifts for delivery to underprivileged children on six continents

For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call (615)309-6013 or visit www.samaritanspurse.org. National Collection Week is Nov. 17-24; however, shoe box gifts are collected all year.