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The spirit of giving: Charity program provides gifts to needy children

Volunteers inspect shoe boxes filled with gifts to make sure they pass customs before they reach needy children across the world. Photo courtesy of Samaritan's Purse.

Published: Friday, November 2, 2012 12:09 PM CDT
For those looking to brighten the lives of those less fortunate this Christmas, the Samaritan's Purse organization is happy to spread the giving spirit.


From Nov. 12 to 19, the organization will be hosting Operation Christmas Child, which aims to provide gifts as well as spiritual guidance to needy children. For the event, the organization is collected shoeboxes filled with gifts that will be given to those children.

Preston Ridge Baptist Church, located at 5849 Hillcrest Road in Frisco, will be taking shoeboxes on behalf of Samaritan's Purse.

"Operation Christmas Child is all about getting families involved to help those who are less fortunate," said Janet Bell, Preston Ridge's relay coordinator. "The shoe boxes we provide to children can include everything from school supplies to personal hygiene to clothes -- whatever can help a child, usually an orphan child in another country."

Bell added that the shoe box typically goes beyond the child, as many will share whatever's in the shoebox with members of their community.

Preston Ridge previously assembled boxes for Operation Christmas Child but offered to be a drop-off site for the program five years ago.

"From our facility the boxes will go to a processing center, and there are six -- soon to be seven -- processing centers in the United States," Bell said. "At each processing center, volunteers go through the boxes to make sure things inside pass customs and are appropriate for the shoe boxes. No liquids, medicines, chocolates or things like that, for instance. That way things run smoothly through the shipping process."

In addition to the gifts, Samaritan's Purse plans on providing a message of Christian spiritual guidance with each box to the children who receive them.

Bell recommended family involvement when making a shoe box filled with gifts, as she said it will help children understand the giving spirit of Christmas.

"This is a great event to do with your family -- children can help pack boxes and get involved in helping those who are less fortunate than themselves," she said.

For more information about the program, contact Bell at 972-712-7007 or visit www.samaritanspurse.org/occ.

Dates and times



Preston Ridge Baptist Church, located at 5849 Hillcrest Road, will accept shoeboxes filled with gifts at the following times.

Nov. 12: 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Nov. 13: 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Nov. 14: 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m., 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Nov. 15: 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Nov. 16: 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m., 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Nov. 17: 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Nov. 18: 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Nov. 19: 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

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