Collection week is over and Operation Christmas Child organizers want to thank the community for a total of 2,132 shoeboxes collected in Warren County.First United Methodist Church took the reins of the local project this year with administrative assistant Debbie Patterson spearheading efforts.“The opportunity to serve as the coordinator has truly been a wonderful and blessed experience,” said Patterson. “People have been coming up to me when I’m out in the community and thanking us for continuing this ministry.” Operation Christmas Child, a product of Samaritan’s Purse, offers participants a chance to fill empty shoeboxes with items for children suffering from natural disaster, war, terrorism, famine, and poverty.