Grafton Kids and Families Send Hope to Suffering Children Worldwide

West Lebanon Residents Hope to Collect 1,200 Shoe Box Gifts Nov. 17-24 Shoe Boxes Make The Difference For World''s Largest Christmas Project Friday, November 14, 2008 7:36 AM

GRAFTON COUNTY KIDS AND FAMILIES SEND HOPE TO SUFFERING CHILDREN WORLDWIDE

West Labanon Drop-Off Site Hopes to Collect 1,200 Gift-Filled Shoe Boxes

Nov. 17-24 for World’s Largest Christmas Project

WEST LEBANON, N.H., Nov. 13, 2008—Local volunteers are collecting simple shoe box gifts personally packed by children, families, and individuals here in Grafton County. After the shoe box gifts are collected, gifts will be sorted and sent using whatever means necessary—sea containers, trucks, buses, trains, airplanes, helicopters, boats, camels, even dog sleds—to reach suffering children around the world.

“This is a great opportunity to help bring joy and happiness to children living in difficult places around the world,” said Kelly Ramage, West Lebanon Collection Site Coordinator. “This is our first year to be a drop-off site and we hope to collect more than 1,200 gift-filled shoe boxes.”

LOCAL COLLECTION SITE:

West Lebanon Baptist Church

114 Seminary Hill

West Lebanon, NH

(800) 910-2587

Collection Times:

Nov. 17 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Nov. 18 3:30 p.m. -6 p.m.

Nov. 19 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Nov. 20 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 21 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., 2 p.m. – 5 p.m., 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Nov. 22 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Nov. 23 1 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Nov. 24 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Right now you can join the effort to help the world’s largest Christmas project hand-deliver some 8 million gift-filled shoe boxes to children in more than 90 countries suffering from natural disaster, war, terrorism, disease, famine, and poverty.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO GET INVOLVED:

PREPARE—Enlist families, churches, scout troops, community groups and businesses to take part in creating shoe box gifts for needy children worldwide.

PACK—Fill shoe boxes with school supplies, toys, necessity items, candy and a letter of encouragement. Step-by-step shoe box packing instructions are available at www.samaritanspurse.org.

PROCESS—Sign up to join Operation Christmas Child volunteers at the drop-off site in West Lebanon as part of the effort to prepare millions of shoe box gifts for delivery to underprivileged kids on six continents.

Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child, a project of international Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse headed by Franklin Graham, has delivered more than 61 million gift-filled shoe boxes to needy children in some 130 countries.

For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call (800) 910-2587 or visit www.samaritan.org. National Collection Week is Nov. 17-24.

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