Operation Christmas Child draws near

Oct. 28—DECATUR COUNTY — Decatur County residents, along with residents from many other counties in the southeast part of the state, are sharing their bounties with less fortunate children the world over. In 2020, nearly 12,000 shoeboxes were shipped to needy children abroad via Operation Christmas Child, and the the project continues and the this years' pick-up date is fast approaching.

Despite the continuing global pandemic, generosity is alive and well and taking care of others in 2021.

Samaritan's Purse, based in Boone, North Carolina, is an evangelical Christian humanitarian aid organization that provides aid to people in physical need as a key part of its Christian missionary work. The organization's president is Franklin Graham, son of late Christian evangelist Billy Graham. The name of the organization is derived from the New Testament Parable of the Good Samaritan

According to Wikipedia, Samaritan's Purse was founded in 1970 by Baptist pastor Robert Pierce in Boone, N C.

Graham met Pierce in 1973, and they made several trips together to visit relief projects and missionary partners in Asia and elsewhere. Graham became president of Samaritan's Purse in 1979 following Pierce's death in 1978.

Samaritan's Purse has offices in Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom and the organization provides assistance in more than 100 countries.

Across the U.S., the project collected more than 7.8 million such gifts in 2020. Combined with those collected from partnering countries in 2020, the ministry is now sending more than 8.9 million shoebox gifts to children worldwide.

Operation Christmas Child was created in 1990 by Dave Cooke and his wife Gill for children in Romania. A booklet of bible stories is often distributed alongside the shoebox gifts which are given to children based on need alone, regardless of their faith. These boxes are then distributed overseas by volunteers.

The drop-off location in Greensburg is at the First Baptist Church at 209 W. Washington Street and will receive prewrapped shoeboxes 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 15, through Friday, Nov. 19; 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 20; 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 21; and 9 to 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 22.

Visit www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/pack-a-shoe-box/ for information on the charity and how to pack a shoebox.

Contact Bill Rethlake at 812-663-3111, ext 217011 or email bill.rethlake@greensburgdailynews.com