A kickoff celebration for the Operation Christmas Child collection season was held last week at First United Methodist Church. The local effort will join a global effort to collect 10 million shoeboxes this year.The event was organized by United Methodist Women with guest speaker Kate McKinnie, Mid-South regional manager for Operation Christmas Child, who presented a plaque of appreciation for the church’s five years of partnership as a drop-off site in McMinnville.McKinnie also shared photos and stories of her recent distribution trip to Guyana where she received the opportunity to hand-deliver shoeboxes to children in need.“Many churches view our ministry as giving Christmas gifts to children all over the world, and it’s so much more than that,” said McKinnie. “I’m grateful to partner with churches in McMinnville who grasp the real reason we do this – sharing the love of God in a tangible way through these simple shoebox gifts.