Churches Host Operation Christmas Child Collection Parties

By Jean Seegers, REPORTER

 Christmas is a time for giving. Hope Evangelical Free Church, 5656 Elevator Road in Roscoe, and Roscoe United Methodist Church, 10816 Main St. are stepping up once again this year to make Christmas a little brighter for children and families around the world.

Roscoe Methodist Church held a packing party for Operation Christmas Child on Friday evening, Nov. 11. On the following day, members of Hope Church followed suit, assembling over 1,400 shoeboxes with basic items such as school supplies, toothbrushes, soap, hats, mittens, small toys, books and hard candy. Hope Church is the drop-off location for donations. Church member Sandy Brewer coordinated the packing party there. In addition to the Roscoe location, other drop-off sites are in Rochelle, Sycamore, Belvidere, Davis, Stockton and two in Rockford.

Brewer said any church can sponsor Operation Christmas Child. The world-wide organization is under the auspices of Samaritan’s Purse, a non-denominational, international relief project, founded by Franklin Graham in 1993. The organization is based in Boone, North Carolina. “The goal this year is 12 million boxes for needy kids in third world countries,” Brewer said. “In Roscoe, 16 people work on the project, year round.  There are 400 churches participating in Northern Illinois alone.” 

At Hope Church, a women’s sewing group donated 500 dresses. Another group knitted purses with dolls inside. Another table was covered with 200 pair of boy’s shorts and tote bags. When all the boxes are filled, they are taken to Temple Baptist Church in Rockford. Shoeboxes from Illinois and four other states are then loaded onto semis and delivered to the headquarters in Minneapolis, Minn. Brewer said, “30,000 to 50,000 boxes are delivered daily, for 3-½ weeks. A total of 12 million shoeboxes will go to children throughout the world.”

JEAN SEEGERS, PHOTO – The Herald.
Cousins Drew Pettit and Lucy Brewer-Olmstead helped pack shoeboxes for the Operation Christmas Child Project at Hope Church, Saturday, Nov. 12. The boxes will be sent to needy children in third world countries.