Churches share holiday spirit through Operation Christmas Child

Local churches have been busy this month gathering supplies, toys and necessities to be sent to children around the world through Operation Christmas Child. In 1993, when the organization Samaritan's Purse started Operation Christmas Child, about 28,000 shoeboxes were packed and mailed. This year, more than 198 million boxes worldwide will be shipped.

Members of Community Congregational Church in Thompson Falls spent a Sunday afternoon earlier this month packing shoeboxes full of school supplies, toys and other products for Operation Christmas Child.

Heather Schraeder with the church said that about 60 volunteers packed 83 boxes. She said generally boxes collected from Montana are delivered to children in Mexico. Each box has a label, which helps volunteers track and see where their donations go. This was the second year for Community Congregational Church to have a "packing pizza party," with a pizza lunch before they filled shoeboxes. Previously, the church was the drop-off location for shoeboxes collected and filled throughout the county. Now, Open Door Baptist Church has taken on that role.

Mona Jacobson coordinates Operation Christmas Child activities at Open Door Baptist Church. At the church this past Sunday, more than 20 volunteers packed 100 boxes this year. Jacobson said last year as a church they packed 70 shoeboxes and the community together donated 293 boxes of items for children. The church takes the boxes to Missoula, where they are loaded on larger trucks and distributed. "All year we take donations and save items to pack in the fall," Jacobson said. "It's a good thing for the youth to be involved in. They can buy for others and pack and send their boxes, then they get to track them and see where they go."

Schraeder said the children in their church are always excited to help fill shoeboxes. "They are focused on picking out things for someone else. The kids love it and it's really fun," she added. She also noted that it's a good opportunity to teach kids to be thankful for what they have and to not take items such as toothbrushes, pencils and soap - some of the items packed in the shoeboxes - for granted. "It's a good reminder of how blessed we are," Schraeder added.

Open Door Baptist Church will be open noon-2 p.m. this week and Monday to take donations. Jacobson said they will take donations all year as the dropoff site. For more information or to donate locally, contact Mona Jacobson at (406) 396-2901.