Millions of children throughout the world will receive a shoebox full of Christmas gifts through Operation Christmas Child (OCC), a program of Samaritan's Purse, a Christian relief organization. Some of those boxes were filled right in Chester County.

Will and Amy Shaw, regional area coordinators for the Mid-Atlantic North Region of OCC, held an outdoor shoebox packing party in the driveway and garage of their Chester County home on Aug. 23. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., participants filled shoeboxes in assembly-line fashion with items such as hair accessories, school supplies and stuffed animals.

Volunteers came to help from throughout the area, and some are members of Calvary Chapel, Chester Springs, where Amy and Will attend. More than 1,200 boxes were packed during the day.

Will and Amy held a similar packing party at their home in 2020, but they had to limit attendance because of the pandemic. "(OCC) delivered 9 million shoeboxes in 2020; a typical year is 11 (million) or 12 million," said Amy. "Canceling it was never an option."

Will and Amy have been involved with OCC for a number of years and have personally taken part in shoebox distributions in several countries, including Paraguay. The couple shops year-round for OCC, buys in bulk and gathers donations. "They were getting rid of a bunch of Kohl's Cares stuffed animals for 75 cents (each), so we bought 700 of them," said Amy, noting that one day prior to the packing party, 60 Kohl's boxes filled with stuffed animals were delivered to their home.

This year, National Collection Week for OCC will take place from Monday, Nov. 15, through Monday, Nov. 22. Local donation sites include Gateway Church in Parkesburg, Calvary Chapel of Chester Springs and East Nantmeal Christian Fellowship in Elverson. Specific times and additional locations can be found at http://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child.

Suggested shoebox gifts include toys, such as dolls, finger puppets and foam balls; personal care items, such as washcloths, hairbrushes and combs; and craft items, including coloring books, pens and pencils and stickers. Senders may also include a personal note to the recipient. Amy said that each box should contain a "wow" item. One of the "wow" items that the Shaws packed this year is a soccer ball with a manual air pump.

For more information, email occphilly@aol.com or search for "OCC Regional Area Coordinators in PA (Mid-Atlantic North OCC)" on Facebook.