Sanford church is dropoff point for children's toy benefit

SANFORD - Evergreen Covenant Church in Sanford will serve as one of around 4,500 U.S. locations collecting gift-filled shoeboxes for children living in poverty overseas through the Samaritan's Purse project Operation Christmas Child--the world's largest Christmas project of its kind.

During National Collection Week, Nov. 14 - 21, Sanford residents will donate shoeboxes - filled with school supplies, hygiene items, notes of encouragement and fun toys, such as a doll or soccer ball - for Operation Christmas Child to deliver to children in need around the world. This year, Sanford residents hope to contribute many shoebox gifts toward the 2016 global goal of reaching 12 million children.

"We're excited to open our doors and join the effort to help children facing difficult circumstances around the world - by the simple act of packing a gift-filled shoebox," said Coordinator, Mark Gove of Sanford. Gove will serve as the Relay Center Coordinator, managing operations at the drop-off location, where he hopes to receive hundreds of shoebox gifts to contribute toward the 2016 global goal of reaching 12 million children in need.

EVERGREEN COVENANT CHURCH
1861 MAIN STREET
SANFORD, ME 04073

OPERATING HOURS:

Monday, Nov. 14, 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 15, 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Nov. 16, 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 17, 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 18, 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 19, 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 20,2 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 21, 9:00 a.m. - 11a.m.

For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call (603) 617-9102 or visit samaritanspurse.org/occ. By going online to give the suggested donation of $7 per shoebox gift, participants can follow their box to discover where in the world it will be delivered. They can also pack a shoebox gift online and even upload a photo and note of encouragement.

Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan's Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham. The mission of Operation Christmas Child is 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 135 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 150 countries and territories. For many of these children, the gift-filled shoebox is the first gift they have ever received.