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Volunteers announce collection sites for global Christmas project

By Staff | Nov 8, 2017

This month, several locations in the multi-county Southwest Florida area team will serve as drop-off sites for the Samaritan’s Purse project, Operation Christmas Child – joining nearly 5,000 U.S. locations collecting gift-filled shoeboxes for children in need around the world.

During the project’s National Collection Week, Nov. 13-20, Fort Myers Beach residents will transform empty shoeboxes into gifts of hope filled with school supplies, hygiene items and fun toys. Operation Christmas Child will deliver the shoebox gifts to children affected by war, disease, disaster, poverty and famine.

This year, the local team hopes to contribute more than 33,225 shoebox gifts toward the 2017 global goal of reaching 12 million children.

“We are honored to join the nationwide effort to collect gift-filled shoeboxes for children who may have never experienced the true meaning of Christmas,” Regional Director Cindy Beyer said. “Through these simple gifts and a message of hope, children learn that God loves them and has not forgotten them.”

The local collection sites include:

First Baptist Church of LaBelle, 330 N. Main St., Labelle

– Nov. 13: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

– Nov. 14: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

– Nov. 15: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

– Nov. 16: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

– Nov. 17: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

– Nov. 18: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

– Nov. 19: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

– Nov. 20: 7 to 11 a.m.

Lee Boulevard Baptist Church, 3107 Lee Blvd.

– Nov. 13: Noon to 2 p.m.

– Nov. 14: Noon to 2 p.m.

– Nov. 15: Noon to 2 p.m.

– Nov. 15: 6 to 8 p.m.

– Nov. 16: Noon to 2 p.m.

– Nov. 17: Noon to 2 p.m.

– Nov. 18: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

– Nov. 19: 2 to 4 p.m.

– Nov. 20: 9 a.m. to noon

Lehigh Acres Church of the Nazarene, 210 Lee Blvd.

– Nov. 13: 10 a.m. to noon

– Nov. 14: 10 a.m. to noon

– Nov. 15: 10 a.m. to noon

– Nov. 16: 10 a.m. to noon

– Nov. 17: 10 a.m. to noon

– Nov. 18: 10 a.m. to noon

– Nov. 19: 10 a.m. to noon

– Nov. 20: 10 a.m. to noon

A full list of area collection locations can be found online.

For more information or to view gift suggestions, call 828-588-8153 or visit samaritanspurse.org/occ.

Participants can donate $9 per shoebox gift online through “Follow Your Box” and receive a tracking label to discover its destination. Those who prefer the convenience of online shopping can browsesamaritanspurse.org/buildonline to select gifts matched to a child’s specific age and gender, then finish packing the virtual shoebox by adding a photo and personal note of encouragement.

Source: Samaritan’s Purse