Alabamians join forces to give to Operation Christmas Child

Alabamians from a variety of faiths and organizations came together this year to give 124,000 shoeboxes to Operation Christmas Child (OCC), according to officials.
   
While boxes are still being collected nationally, Karen Pierce, assistant field representative for OCC’s Southeastern region, said Alabama’s preliminary total surpassed last year’s 120,000 shoeboxes.
   
Pierce said although the national collection week was Nov. 17–24, the regional collection sites are still receiving boxes. OCC’s worldwide goal is to collect 7 million boxes filled with presents for children from 2 years old to 14 years old. Three to 4 million of those will come from the United States.
   
Pierce said the boxes from Alabama will most likely go to children from countries in North Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia and South America.
Operation Christmas Child is the annual project of Samaritan’s Purse, the Christian relief and evangelism organization led by Franklin Graham.
   
The project provides needy children worldwide with shoeboxes filled with items such as new toys, books, school supplies, hard candy, hygiene items and other small necessities for the global outreach.
   
In an effort to further help the outreach, Elkdale Baptist Church, Selma Association, holds a dedication service over the boxes it gives.
   
Elkdale member Kitty Singley is the coordinator of the relay center based at the association’s office.
   
She said on the Sunday evening after collection week, Elkdale holds a dedication service at which all the shoeboxes from the church are brought to the front by the children of the church. The church then prays for the people who filled the boxes, those who will receive them and all the others involved in the project.
   
“We pray that the Scripture and everything that goes in there will be well received and that thousands will be saved,” said Singley, who also serves as the association’s Woman’s Missionary Union director.
   
Tom Stacey, Selma’s director of missions, said the project is an important one for the association. “This is one of the best organizations going,” he said. “This is ministry. It’s something we do because it’s a good thing to do.”
   
Pointing out that Christmas is a time to give and focus on others, Singley said participation by the association’s churches has risen every year.
   
Marilyn Montgomery, coordinator of the relay center based at Loveless Park Baptist Church, Bessemer Association, said the association’s churches, as well as other groups in the area have been enthusiastic about participating in the ministry.
   
The center collected 2,359 shoeboxes this year, which was 600 more than last year’s collection total.
“That’s great, because my personal goal was for us to have 2,000 boxes,” Montgomery said. And while the boxes came from 40 different groups, including churches, civic groups and community organizations, Montgomery said Loveless Park contributed 142 shoeboxes to the total.
   
As the association’s missions coordinator, Montgomery became the relay center coordinator when she promoted Operation Christmas Child throughout Bessemer Association. As it has grown, the collection site moved to the gymnasium of Loveless Park, Montgomery’s home church.
   
“It’s interesting every year to see how many more (boxes) come and the new organizations that join,” she said. “Not only are you giving toys, but you’re also giving the gospel.”
   
Montgomery’s husband, Dave, has joined his wife’s efforts, dutifully taping together and moving cardboard boxes to transport the shoeboxes.
   
“I do it because the children … get something they wouldn’t normally get,” he said. “The only drawback is not getting to see the thrill on their faces as they open [the boxes].”
   
One Alabama Baptist couple was able to experience the results from the project, however.
   
The couple, who cannot be identified for security reasons, was handing out boxes in a location where delivery was difficult and where many of the children have never had a toy.
   
They said one little boy they had given a box to was just sitting down looking into it without playing with any of the toys.
   
When asked what he was doing, the boy replied, “I am trying to think of what I can do for the people who gave this to me. What can I give them?
   
“The only thing I have is what we grow in our garden. Do you think I could send them something from our garden?” he asked.