Nov. 12 – 19: Drop-off Sites Open for Operation Christmas Child

Seven sites in St. Charles County will be among 5,000 U.S. drop-off locations collecting shoebox gifts for children overseas during Operation Christmas Child’s National Collection Week, Nov. 12-19.

Families, churches and groups are busy transforming empty shoeboxes into fun gifts filled with toys, school supplies and hygiene items. The Samaritan’s Purse project partners with local churches across the globe to deliver these tangible expressions of God’s love to children affected by war, disease, disaster, poverty and famine. For many of these children, it will be the first gift they have ever received.

This year, St. Charles County residents hope to collect more than 19,400 gifts to contribute to the 2018 global goal of reaching 11 million children.

“We are honored to be linking arms with our community to help children around the world experience the true meaning of Christmas,” said Wentzville volunteer Jennifer Fay, who has participated in Operation Christmas Child for more than 10 years. “These simple gifts show God’s love to children facing difficult circumstances.”

St. Charles County County Collection Sites:

• Dardenne Presbyterian Church, 7400 S Outer 364, Dardenne Prairie, MO 63368-7006
• Element Church, 100 Mall Parkway Ste 500, Wentzville, MO 63385-4844
• First Baptist Church of St. Charles, 2701 Muegge Road, Saint Charles, MO 63303-3036
• Grace Community Church, 7661 Mexico Road, Saint Peters, MO 63376-3503
• **NEW** Joy Community Church, 810 Westwood Industrial Park Drive, Weldon Spring, MO 63304-4577
• NorthRoad Community Church - Harvester Campus, 1120 Jungs Station Road, Saint Charles, MO 63303-6086
• St. Charles Christian Church (New Town), 3337 Rue Royale Street, Saint Charles, MO 63301-8217

A complete list of drop-offs and hours of operation are available on the Operation Christmas Child Drop-off Locator at https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/drop-off-locations/.

For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call 636-328-7871, or visit samaritanspurse.org/occ. Participants can donate $9 per shoebox gift online through “Follow Your Box” and receive a tracking label to discover its destination. Those who prefer the convenience of online shopping can browse samaritanspurse.org/buildonline to select gifts matched to a child’s specific age and gender, then finish packing the virtual shoebox by adding a photo and personal note of encouragement.

Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham. The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world and, together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 157 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 160 countries and territories.