Interact Club members are hard at work gathering donations for Operation Christmas Child. 

Operation Christmas Child is an annual program where shoeboxes are filled with toys, hygiene products and various other things and sent to other countries for Christmas. These boxes help spread the gospel by providing children with booklets along with presents. Warren County Middle School Interact club members Colin Totherow, Sara Grace Turner and Liyah Johnson attended Breakfast Rotary last Tuesday morning to talk about Operation Christmas Child. 

“Our club has been participating in this project for almost 20 years,” said Johnson. “Churches and groups of all sizes collect boxes from the community. Thousands of volunteers serve annually inspecting and preparing shoeboxes for international shipping.”

Totherow explained the packing process to the Rotary members.

“First you want to find any shoebox. It doesn’t have to be a Samaritan Purse one, and a plastic box will work well, the smaller ones. On your label you will choose if you want to pack for a boy or a girl and there are different age groups you can pack for. What you can fill inside of these boxes are stuffed animals, soccer ball with a pump, hygiene items, school supplies, a photo of yourself, a personal note and you can even add your address for them to write back. Just stuff life that,” said Totherow.

Totherow also said a $10 donation is required to cover the shipping costs to these other countries. Interact Club members will be dressing up as shoeboxes and taking donations downtown during collection week. National collection week is Nov. 14-21. 

“If you are wondering where you can drop off shoe boxes you can drop them off at First Baptist or with an Interact member. Last year we also did a collection at school where we met up and packed boxes,” said Johnson. “We dress up in these boxes and we go downtown and we hand out brochures and sometimes they give us donations.”

Shoeboxes can be dropped off on the following days at First Baptist Church located at 403 N. Spring St.:

Mon, Nov. 14

8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tue, Nov. 15

8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Wed, Nov. 16

8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Thu, Nov. 17

8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Fri, Nov. 18

8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Sat, Nov. 19

8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sun, Nov. 20

11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Mon, Nov. 21

8 a.m. to 11 a.m.