Hundreds and hundreds of children from across the world will experience the true spirit of Christmas this year, thanks to the generosity of the greater Greenville community. A steady stream of gift-filled shoe boxes have been flowing into the local collection center for Operation Christmas Child (also known as the Shoebox Ministry).

Pastor Rob Fossett of First Presbyterian Church of Greenville, the local drop-off site for this annual holiday outreach, says Collection Week has gone very well.

“We’ve already had nearly 1,000 boxes delivered here from churches and individuals this week,” Fossett said on Friday.

“Our coordinator, Angie Meredith, has been very pleased with what our county has produced, and she has done a fabulous job coordinating this very important ministry.”

And there’s still time to be a part of this hands-on ministry.

The Greenville Collection Center is open today (Saturday) from 10 a.m. until noon, Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and on Monday, the final day, volunteers will be in place at First Presbyterian from 9 a.m. until 11 p.m.

“It’s not too late to join this effort,” says Fossett.  “It’s a truly important ministry that touches thousands of children all over the world who are in desperate need both financially and spiritually.”

For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, email OCCsouthcentralalabama@gmail.com or visit samaritanspurse.org/occ. By going online to give the suggested donation of $7 per shoebox gift, participants can follow their box to discover where in the world it will be delivered. They can also pack a shoebox gift online and even upload a photo and note of encouragement.

Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham. The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 135 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 150 countries and territories, including the United States. For many of these children, the gift-filled shoebox is the first gift they have ever received.