Operation Christmas Child – Statesboro Herald

For Janet Ward, the mission of Operation Christmas Child is clear.
“We're bringing a little glimmer of hope into some children's lives with the only Christmas gift they'll ever receive,” Ward said. “And at the same time, we're bringing them the saving message of Jesus Christ.”
Ward is a coordinator of a Christmas Children's Outreach Center in Southeast Georgia. She leads the local collection of shoeboxes full of gifts at First Presbyterian Church in Statesboro, where she is also a member.
Operation Christmas Child was founded in 1993 as a project of the international Christian aid organization Samaritan's Purse under the leadership of Franklin Graham. Since then, the project has delivered more than 69 million shoeboxes filled with gifts to needy children in around 130 countries.
Last year, the Statesboro area donated 3,381 shoeboxes to Operation Christmas Child. Ward has a simple goal for 2009:
“If possible, I would like to send one more shoebox than last year,” she said.
Ward and a group of volunteers began collecting boxes of gifts at the church near East Georgia Regional Medical Center on Fair Road on Monday. As of Thursday morning, 1,746 boxes had been received. Boxes will be accepted at the church every day through Monday, including Saturday and Sunday.
Ward said the boxes come from families, children, churches, schools and civic organizations from across the area.
“One of our schools in Effingham County delivers their shoeboxes decorated with special stickers,” Ward said.
Each box is divided by age group and is for a boy or a girl. The gifts include basics like a toothbrush, toothpaste, pencils and paper. The boxes also contain books, candy, maybe clothes and a few toys.
“Volunteering is my way of giving back,” said Charlene Mann, also a member of First Presbyterian. “One of these boxes brings so much joy to boys and girls all over the world who live in conditions we cannot imagine.”
Ward's daughter, Jamie Ward, is the project's area coordinator in southeast Georgia, covering 29 counties from Soperton to St. Mary's and helping churches and other groups organize their own Operation Christmas Child efforts.
“All denominations participate, as do many civic groups and individuals,” said Jamie Ward.
After volunteers at First Presbyterian Church prepare each shoebox, it is packed into a larger box. The larger boxes are then loaded onto a 52-foot trailer parked outside the church and driven to Atlanta next week. From there, the shoebox gifts are sorted and shipped by any means necessary – shipping containers, trucks, trains, planes, boats, camels and even dog sleds – to reach children around the world.
“This is a great opportunity to teach generosity and compassion to children in America and to give hope to children in difficult areas of the world,” said Janet Ward. “The volunteers at the Statesboro drop-off location enjoy watching the shoeboxes pile up filled with gifts donated by our generous community.”
All gifts appropriate for children will be accepted, and Ward said the group would be happy to package the gifts in a shoebox if donors do not have one.
“It’s a simple way to spread our happiness around the world in a very Christian way,” she said.