|
|
|
Operation Christmas Child is gearing up to start another collection week Nov. 16 to 23. To kick this year off, OCC is sponsoring a spaghetti dinner and auction to help raise funds for shipping expenses.
"It's an awareness thing more than about making money," said Glenn Parker, who volunteers for OCC. "If we can make money, it will help with the cost of shipping the boxes."
Auction items include tickets to the Broncos vs. Giants game on Thanksgiving Day, a painting by Cheryl Butcher, New York Yankees memorabilia, a one year subscription to the La Junta Tribune-Democrat, a Denver Broncos gift basket, a gourmet goodie basket, one six unit locker and more. "Jake Norton is the auctioneer," said Parker.
OCC is a project of Samaritan's Purse, an international Christian relief organization headed by Franklin Graham, that collects gift-filled shoe boxes and delivers them in the name of Jesus Christ to children living in desperate situations around the world. Every day boys and girls worldwide suffer from war, poverty, diseases and natural disaster. OCC makes it possible for millions of these children to experience God's love through shoe boxes filled with gifts and creates a natural opening for sharing the gospel.
Family Worship Center in Rocky Ford serves as the Southeast Colorado Collection Center. Shoe boxes arrive at the Collection Center from relay centers in Springfield, Las Animas, Holly, Granada, Lamar, La Junta, Manzanola, Fowler and Kim and are taken to Denver by a semi-truck that is provided by Samaritan's Purse. The boxes are then shipped all over the world. Shipping for each box costs $7.
In 2008 more than 7.9 million children around the world received a gift-filled shoe box for Christmas. In the Arkansas Valley alone, 3,008 boxes were collected and shipped to Denver.
The fact that Rocky Ford is a collection center, however, is by the grace of God. Estep said that OCC usually requires collection centers to collect 5,000 boxes so that it will be cost effective for the ministry to send a semi-truck. "We have never made that goal," she said. "The closest collection center is in Pueblo. If we don't keep boosting our numbers we might not be able to be a collection center."
This year First Baptist Church in La Junta is hoping to collect 600 boxes. The Collection Center is hoping to collect 4,000.
For information on what to pack in a shoe box and for information on drop off times and locations, log onto http://www.samaritanspurse.org.
To find the nearest site, visit www.samaritanspurse.org or call (800)659-6378.
Operation Christmas Child is gearing up to start another collection week Nov. 16 to 23. To kick this year off, OCC is sponsoring a spaghetti dinner and auction to help raise funds for shipping expenses.
"It's an awareness thing more than about making money," said Glenn Parker, who volunteers for OCC. "If we can make money, it will help with the cost of shipping the boxes."
Auction items include tickets to the Broncos vs. Giants game on Thanksgiving Day, a painting by Cheryl Butcher, New York Yankees memorabilia, a one year subscription to the La Junta Tribune-Democrat, a Denver Broncos gift basket, a gourmet goodie basket, one six unit locker and more. "Jake Norton is the auctioneer," said Parker.
OCC is a project of Samaritan's Purse, an international Christian relief organization headed by Franklin Graham, that collects gift-filled shoe boxes and delivers them in the name of Jesus Christ to children living in desperate situations around the world. Every day boys and girls worldwide suffer from war, poverty, diseases and natural disaster. OCC makes it possible for millions of these children to experience God's love through shoe boxes filled with gifts and creates a natural opening for sharing the gospel.
Family Worship Center in Rocky Ford serves as the Southeast Colorado Collection Center. Shoe boxes arrive at the Collection Center from relay centers in Springfield, Las Animas, Holly, Granada, Lamar, La Junta, Manzanola, Fowler and Kim and are taken to Denver by a semi-truck that is provided by Samaritan's Purse. The boxes are then shipped all over the world. Shipping for each box costs $7.
In 2008 more than 7.9 million children around the world received a gift-filled shoe box for Christmas. In the Arkansas Valley alone, 3,008 boxes were collected and shipped to Denver.
The fact that Rocky Ford is a collection center, however, is by the grace of God. Estep said that OCC usually requires collection centers to collect 5,000 boxes so that it will be cost effective for the ministry to send a semi-truck. "We have never made that goal," she said. "The closest collection center is in Pueblo. If we don't keep boosting our numbers we might not be able to be a collection center."
This year First Baptist Church in La Junta is hoping to collect 600 boxes. The Collection Center is hoping to collect 4,000.
For information on what to pack in a shoe box and for information on drop off times and locations, log onto http://www.samaritanspurse.org.
To find the nearest site, visit www.samaritanspurse.org or call (800)659-6378.
