Gateway Church, 160 Cowan Road, Parkesburg, is a designated drop-off location for Operation Christmas Child (OCC), an annual effort that provides shoeboxes filled with gifts to children in need worldwide. OCC is a program of Samaritan's Purse, a Christian relief organization.

The community is invited to participate by gathering small toys, personal care items and school supplies and placing them in a shoebox during National Collection Week, which will take place this year from Monday, Nov. 15, through Monday, Nov. 22. Boxes can be dropped off at Gateway Church at the following times: Monday, Nov. 15, through Friday, Nov. 19, from 5 to 7 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 20, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Sunday, Nov. 21, from 1 to 3 p.m.; and Monday, Nov. 22, from 9 to 11 a.m.

In addition, the community is welcome to attend a shoebox packing party on Sunday, Nov. 14, from 6 to 8 p.m. "We are planning on packing 500 boxes on Nov. 14," said Helen Blain, OCC coordinator at Gateway Church. "If someone wants to drop off items, we will take them and put them in our packing party. But we would like them to bring their boxes packed and ready to go."

Suggested shoebox gifts include school supplies, such as crayons and pencils with sharpeners; small toys; small musical instruments like a harmonica; non-liquid hygiene items, such as washcloths and toothbrushes; and clothing accessories, including socks, gloves, scarves and hair bows. Each box should contain a "wow" item such as a soccer ball with a manual air pump. A suggested shipping donation is requested to be placed in each box.

Blain noted that the church has been packing boxes for OCC for at least 10 years. "I just love this project because you hear about how the child gets just what is needed and it can only be the Lord working in it," she said. "We sent out 2,577 boxes from our church last year."

Youths from Gateway Church are also involved in the program. "They have raised money to cover shipping, and they come with their families and pack boxes at our packing party," Blain said, noting that the children also place personal notes and photos in the boxes they pack. "Some of the children have received a letter back from the child that received their box. You can track your box (online) and see what country they go to; the children like to do that."

After the packing party, the boxes will make their way to Baltimore, one of eight shoebox processing centers in the United States. "(The boxes) get put into big cartons by age group and sealed, and then they get loaded onto planes and off they go to the children," Blain said.

According to http://www.samaritanspurse.org, more than 188 million children in 170 countries and territories have received a shoebox gift since 1993. "Last year, OCC sent out 9.1 million shoeboxes. The goal is 9.7 million this year," Blain added.

Those who are unable to pack a shoebox may take part in the online "Build a Shoebox" program. Complete details are available at http://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/buildonline.