Reps from Operation Christmas Child shoebox program address Loudonville Rotary
LOUDONVILLE − Two promoters of the Operation Christmas Child program, which encourages churches and other organizations to assemble shoeboxes filled with toys, household and hygiene items for children in foreign countries, spoke at the Loudonville Rotary's Sept. 1 gathering.
Donna Morton, area coordinator, and Judy Hedrick, community team member, described some of the uplifting feelings when children, mostly from impoverished parts of countries like Tanzania, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama and the Philippines, open their shoeboxes.
Morton, whose area includes Ashland, Richland, Crawford, Morrow, Knox and Marion counties, relived her experiences traveling with a group of Shoebox ambassadors to deliver presents to children in Tanzania.
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“Providing these gifts is a way to let children know that they are loved,” she said as she showed slides of hundreds of children opening their shoeboxes. “The gifts show them that Gods loves them.”
Morton and others delivered shoeboxes to over 300 children packed in a Lutheran Church in Tanzania. She showed slides of smiling children opening their shoeboxes.
Loudonville’s Rotary Club, with the encouragement of President Brian Hartzell, began preparing shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child last year. In doing so, they joined several area churches in making this gesture.
According to Hedrick, 22,599 shoe boxes were collected in this region in 2021. This year's regional goal is 23,000. Within this region, 50 persons, all volunteers, work to gather the shoeboxes. She added that 156 churches in the region, most of them smaller ones, are involved in the effort.
She also noted that individuals that prepare shoeboxes can track where their boxes go.
How to take part in Operation Christmas Child
Empty shoeboxes and instructions are distributed to participating organizations, along with instructions on how to pack them and what sort of gifts can be accepted.
Popular gift ideas include inflatable balls with pumps, dolls, stuffed animals, shoes, toys, personal care items, school supplies and small accessory items, like socks, sunglasses and flashlights.
Items that cannot be accepted include candy, toothpaste, used or damaged items, medications and vitamins, breakable items, glass containers and aerosol cans.
Donors are also asked to donate $10 to cover shipping costs for the shoeboxes. Boxes are collected Nov. 14 to Nov. 21.
For information on getting your church or organization involved in Operation Christmas Child, contact Judy Hedrick at 419-566-1372 or email judya3503@aol.com.
This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Loudonville Rotary gets lesson on Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes
