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National Collection week for Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child has been slated for Nov. 15-22 with many drop off locations throughout Lee County available.

Operation Christmas Child collects shoebox gifts that are filled with toys, school supplies and hygiene items to deliver to children in need around the world, which for many will be the first gift they have ever received. The gifts are for children ages 2 to 14 years old.

Samaritan’s Purse Media Relations Associate Zette Zbinden said the operation began in 1993 and has collected and delivered more than 188 million shoebox gifts for children in more than 170 countries and territories. The 2021 goal is to collect enough shoebox gifts to reach another 9.7 million children.

First United Methodist Church Worship Arts Director Brad Dobson said they have been a registered collection site for four years. He said COVID definitely made things challenging last year, but they still went forward with the collection, as Samaritan’s Purse provided such supplies as hand sanitizer and masks.

“We had around 500 shoeboxes that we processed last year at our church,” Dobson said. “It’s a really good project. The company has been doing it for over 20 years. They have it down to a science. The basic gist, spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ all over the world.”

He said it’s not just about sharing the joy of gift giving, but teaching the kids about Jesus.

With Dobson and his family living close to the headquarters in Boone, North Carolina, he has personally toured the facility. He said he has also heard testimonies from individuals who are now part of Samaritan’s Purse who received the shoeboxes when they were children.

“We heard some powerful stories,” Dobson said.

Some of the recommended gifts include a “wow” item; personal care items; clothing and accessories; crafts and activities; toys and a personal note. The age categories are for 2 to 4 year olds, 5 to 9 year olds and 10 to 14 year olds. A complete list can be found at www.samaritanspurse.org. 

He encourages individual’s to pack such wow items as a soccer ball deflated with a pump, a stuffed animal, or a pair of shoes. Dobson said he has heard testimonies that it was the child’s first pair of shoes. Other items to pack include such school supplies as rulers, scissors, pencils and pens.

“A lot of these kids don’t have access to supplies and helps with education,” Dobson said.

Or such items as socks, hairbows, hairbrushes and toothbrushes. He said not to put any food or candy in the boxes, or liquids.

Samaritan’s Purse also recommends a $9 donation per box to cover shipping and other project costs.

Zbinden shared that shoebox gifts are collected in Australia, Austria, Canada, Finland, Germany, New Zealand, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States. There are more than 270,000 volunteers in the United States alone that help with collecting, shipping, and distributing shoeboxes. There are nearly 5,000 drop off locations in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, with many in Lee County.

Dobson encourages individuals to only drop off the shoeboxes during the times slotted as they can process them the correct way.

The drop off locations include:

Cape Coral

– Cape Coral First United Methodist Church,

4118 Coronado Pkwy.

– Cape Alliance Church,

4307 Skyline Blvd.

Lehigh Acres

– Lehigh Acres Church of the Nazarene, 210 Lee Blvd.

North Fort Myers

– Northside Baptist church,

8250 Littleton Rd.

Fort Myers

– Parkway Baptist Church,

6211 Briarcliff Rd.

– Christ Community Church of Fort Myers, 4050 Colonial Blvd.

– Grace Church,

14036 Matanzas Dr.