Columbia families and volunteers joined the global effort to spread holiday cheer to millions of needy children.
Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan's Purse, an international Christian relief organization. Participants of the project fill shoeboxes with gifts and items for children in need.
"We send shoeboxes filled with toys, school supplies and hygiene items to children living overseas who may have never had a gift before in their life," says Assistant Director of Operation Christmas Child Rachael Mills.
According to Mills, the children receiving the gifts are often victims of war, terrorism, natural disasters, famine and disease. Since the project's launch in 1993, over 113 million shoeboxes have been delivered to children in need in more than 100 countries.
November 17-24 is National Collection Week, where over 4,000 drop off locations around the country will open their doors.
Mills says after these boxes are collected, they are transported to nine different warehouses across the country where thousands of volunteers will inspect the boxes, add items, remove breakables and liquids, and then sort them by gender to prepare for oversea shipment.
Mills says that those who do not have time to pack a box can visit samaritanspurse.org to donate and pack a virtual shoebox with items of their choice, which will then be prepared by volunteers and delivered.
Operation Christmas Child expects to collect over 8.3 million shoeboxes in the U.S. and hopes to reach over 10 million shoeboxes collectively with other countries this year.
To participate or find the nearest drop off location in Columbia, visit samaritanspurse.org.