Shoeboxes filled with school supplies, hygiene items and toys are needed for children affected by war, disease, disaster, poverty and famine. Operation Christmas Child will be collecting boxes from Monday to Nov. 20 at drop off locations in Victorville, Hesperia and Bishop.
Samaritan’s Purse — a faith-based organization headed by evangelist Franklin Graham — has ran Operation Christmas Child since 1993. Over 146 million gift-filled shoeboxes have been collected and delivered to children in more than 160 countries and territories. The High Desert team hopes to collect 3,750 shoeboxes to go towards the 2017 global goal of reaching 12 million children.
“What this program does, it collects shoeboxes filled with school supplies, hygiene items and toys to show them God cares about them and loves them,” said Area Coordinator Cindy Webster. “In many countries, if children don’t have school supplies, they can’t attend school because the school doesn’t have the means. They have to provide supplies themselves.”
Other much needed items are washable sanitary napkins for teenage girls that can be found online at Amazon.com, Ivory soap, floss, stick deodorant and toothbrushes.
“Toothbrushes, many don’t have one or they share. It’s great to send more than one in a box,” said Webster.
Webster says that older children are often overlooked because people think kids over 14 are too hard to pack for. She recommends a simple sewing kit and fabric for girls, and tools — a hammer, screwdriver, rope, bungee cord or fishing kit — for boys as inexpensive gift items. Clothing and flip-flops are also needed.
Once the boxes are received, they are processed at a central drop location for items that are not allowed — food, candy, vitamins, toothpaste, body wash, glass or breakable items, anything in an aerosol can or games that reference war. These items are taken out and donated to a local charity.
The boxes are then shipped around the world.
“We send boxes to Mexico, Honduras, Afghanistan, Iraq, Russia, Africa, South America,” said Webster.
Currently there are no drop-off locations in the Barstow area but Webster is looking to change that.
“For any churches that would like to be a drop off location, please call me,” said Webster.
For more information on how to become a drop-off location, email Webster at websterlucinda1961@gmail.com. To donate online and “Build a Box,” visit www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/buildonline/