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Neighbor News

Curbside Drop-Off Sites to Open for Operation Christmas Child

More than 4,000 locations will now offer a curbside drop-off option for the Samaritan's Purse project, Operation Christmas Child.

This girl is one of millions of children in the Dominican Republic to receive an Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift since Samaritan’s Purse began delivering gifts there in 2000.
This girl is one of millions of children in the Dominican Republic to receive an Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift since Samaritan’s Purse began delivering gifts there in 2000. (Courtesy of Samaritan's Purse)

Volunteers with Operation Christmas Child are preparing to collect shoebox gifts during National Collection Week, Nov. 16 – 23.

Operation Christmas Child has been collecting and delivering shoebox gift—filled with school supplies, hygiene items and fun toys—to children worldwide for more than two decades. This is a project that everyone can still be a part of, even with COVID-19 restrictions.

There’s still time for individuals, families, and groups to transform empty shoeboxes into fun gifts. The project partners with local churches across the globe to deliver these tangible
expressions of God’s love to children in need. Find a step-by-step guide on the How to Pack a
Shoebox webpage.

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“In the midst of the pandemic, the needs are greater than ever before,” said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse. “Children around the world need to know that God loves them and there is hope. A simple shoebox gift opens the door to share about the true hope that can only be found in Jesus Christ.”

Participants can find the nearest drop-off location and hours of operation as they make plans to drop off their shoebox gifts. The online lookup tool is searchable by City or ZIP code. Signs at each location will identify the curbside drop off.

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Lafayette Federated Church
180 State Route 15, Lafayette, NJ, 07848

Freedom Church
145 Oak Ridge Road, Oak Ridge, NJ,07438

Monday, Nov. 16, 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov.18, 2 p.m.– 7 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 19, 2 p.m.– 6 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 20, 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 21, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 22, 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 23, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 16, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 17, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 18, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 19, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 20, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 21, 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 22, 12 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 23, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Minisink Reformed Church
346 River Road, Montague, NJ 07827

Monday, Nov. 16, 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov.18, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 19, 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 20, 2 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 21, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 22, 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 23, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Those interested in more information on how Operation Christmas Child is making adjustments during its National Collection Week can visit the organization’s Important COVID-19 Updateswebpage for the latest information and answers to Frequently Asked Questions.

Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse, seeks 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 178 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 160 countries and territories.

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