The season of giving is fast approaching. One’s kindness can start in Santa Clarita with a shoebox, and end up across the world as a gift to a child.
The Sanctuary Church, 26444 Friendly Valley Parkway, is scheduled to host Samaritan’s Purse’s National Collection Week for Operation Christmas Child starting Monday.
“The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world,” wrote Samaritan’s Purse’s website. “Through this project, Samaritan’s Purse partners with the local church worldwide to share the good news of Jesus Christ and make disciples of the nations.”
Since its start in 1993, more than 198 million children in more than 170 countries and territories have received an Operation Christmas Child shoebox.
An Operation Christmas Child shoebox is not just an empty shoebox. It is filled with toys, school supplies, fun items and necessities.
Those wishing to donate have many options to do so. Operation Christmas Child accepts packaged shoeboxes in person, offers the ability for one to choose specific items and pack a shoebox online at sampur.se/3tqGr8o or choose for the organization to pack one at the same link.
The Sanctuary Church will be accepting the physical prepackaged shoeboxes starting Monday. The drop-off times are scheduled as follows:
- Nov. 14: 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
- Nov. 15: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Nov. 16: 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
- Nov. 17: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Nov. 18: 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
- Nov. 19: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Nov. 20: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Nov. 21: 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Suggested items to include in one’s shoebox are: plush animals, foam toys, balls, pencils, markers, crayons, notebooks, rulers, sunglasses, stickers, hair ribbons, coloring books and jewelry.
The following items are not allowed to be included: candy, toothpaste, gum, used or damaged items, scary or war-related items, seeds, food, liquids, lotions, medications, vitamins, breakable items, glass containers and aerosol cans.
For additional gift suggestions and a video on how to pack your shoebox visit, sampur.se/3tv2f2k.
Items for the shoebox should be chosen for a boy or a girl and fall within one of the three age categories: 2-4 years old, 5-9 years old or 10-14 years old.
If one does not have any shoeboxes available at home, plastic shoeboxes can be purchased at Hobby Lobby, 26565 Bouquet Canyon Road, for $4 each.
Shoebox labels (to indicate gender and age as well as provide tracking) are available at sampur.se/3UvFAyN.
A $10 donation is requested with each shoebox packed to cover the cost of shipping. Donations can be made at sampur.se/3UvFAyN.
