Operation Christmas Child drop-off ends Saturday

MARQUETTE — The season of giving has officially began and Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child kicked off on Wednesday, November 14, at the Bethel Baptist Church in Marquette.

People can drop off their shoe boxes filled with gifts to be shipped overseas to children living in poverty.

Some of the items that can be packed in the box are school supplies, small toys and personal need items.

“Personal need items and school supplies are really important in the boxes. Some third world countries will not even let the children even go into a school building unless they have a pencil in their hand, so those items are really important” said co-chair of Marquette County’s Operation Christmas Child, Sandy Thomsen. “Last year we sent a little over 1,400 [boxes] from Marquette County alone.”

The location that the boxes are being shipped to is still unknown, but they are well on their way to exceeding the amount of boxes donated from last year.

If you would like to donate but do not have a shoe box, extra boxes are provided the drop-off location.

Saturday, November 17, is the last day to drop items off, beginning at 10 a.m. and ending at 4 p.m.

A list of suggested gifts are available here.

More information is available by calling 906-228-7589 or 906-226-7232.