Upper Michigan helps needy children overseas

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, Marquette families, businesses, schools and churches are putting their gratitude in action and celebrating their blessings by giving back. Through Operation Christmas Child, locals are joining tens of thousands of people across the U.S. to fill empty shoe boxes with toys, school supplies and necessity items for impoverished children around the world.

In 2012, Operation Christmas Child expects to reach a milestone—collecting and delivering shoe boxes to more than 100 million children since the project began in 1993. Marquette-area residents hope to contribute 1,300 shoe box gifts to this year’s global collection goal of 9 million gift-filled shoe boxes in order to help surpass the 100 million milestone.

This year-round project of international Christian relief and evangelism organization Samaritan’s Purse, headed by Franklin Graham, is ramping up as local businesses, churches and community groups prepare to collect gift-filled shoe boxes this week during National Collection Week.

Packed shoe boxes can be dropped off  at  Silver Creek Church (219 Silver Creek Road in Harvey)  at the followind days and times:

Friday – Nov 16: 11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sat – Nov 17: 10:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sun – Nov 18: 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

The shoe box gifts will be hand-delivered to hurting children in 100 countries around the world.  Operation Christmas Child uses tracking technology to allow participants to “follow” their box to the destination country where it will be given to a child in need. To register shoe box gifts and find out the destination country, use the “Follow Your Box” donation form found at www.samaritanspurse.org/occ.

For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, visit www.samaritanspurse.org/occ.