WHAT: Operation Christmas Child luncheon
WHEN: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sept. 13
WHERE: Immanuel Baptist Church, 1401 W. Central Ave., Temple
NOTE: Reservations are due Sept. 10 by calling 773-2147
--
Planning for Christmas isn’t a priority in war torn countries.
Surviving is the task of the day when gun shots and air raids are as common as breakfast.
But children are children no matter where they are, and come Christmas, they should have a bit of holiday cheer. That’s the annual mission of Operation Christmas Child, the worldwide ministry that delivers gifts in shoeboxes to children in war zones.
And the planning starts now.
Immanuel Baptist Church will host a luncheon on Sept. 13 for prospective participants.
“We’ll have all the information you’ll need,” said coordinator Glinda Harbison of Immanuel Baptist. “And deco boxes will be available for pick-up. Those are flat, red and white - the kind that need to be put together.”
Like the shoeboxes, the deco boxes are meant to be filled with gift items like small toys, hygiene supplies, hard candies or decorative items. Church and service groups can get deco boxes free of charge from Immanuel Baptist as long as they call in advance and say how many they’ll need.
“Those plastic containers that are the size of shoeboxes work out really well too,” Ms. Harbison said. “You can doll them up with stickers and pack them with presents.”
In the years she’s been contributing to Operation Christmas Child, Ms. Harbison has seen pictures of children using their plastic shoeboxes as water jugs.
“In that way, the box becomes a second gift,” Ms. Harbison said. “It’s something they can keep and use. You get them for a dollar at the store, and if there’s a sale, two for a dollar.”
The decorated, gift-packed shoeboxes should include $7 for shipping and handling and a personal note.
“You can leave your return address if you like,” Ms. Harbison said. “I’ve had three precious thank-you notes to come in response.”
Also at the Sept. 13 luncheon, prospective participants will have a chance to hear from Kerri Pribble, the regional director for Texas and Louisiana.
“The need for gifts is urgent,” Ms. Pribble said. “And the logistics of us getting gifts to kids in hard-to-reach places has improved a great deal. That’s what I’m going to talk about. Everyone’s going to hear and see the journey the shoebox takes from the time it’s packed to the time a child receives it.”
Thanks to Operation Christmas Child, more than 7.6 million children in 131 countries had a gift to open on Christmas morning last year. This year, Ms. Pribble expects even more.
“Our resources have grown,” Ms. Pribble said. “We can now airlift in the regions where there are no roads.”
Of last year’s total, at least 15,000 shoeboxes came from Central Texas.
“For me personally, watching the children get their gift, either on a film or on the news, that’s worth it,” said shoebox giver Martha Henry of First Baptist Church in Cameron. “These are children who never get gifts or anything extra, and that breaks my heart. I’m happy to help.”
--tlunsford@temple-telegram.com
