Elverson church is a local drop-off location

Local residents can make the holidays special for children living in impoverished countries around the world by donating a shoebox full of small gifts that will be distributed worldwide by Operation Christmas Child (OCC).

Shoeboxes will be collected at East Nantmeal Christian Fellowship (ENCF), 900 Nantmeal Road, Elverson, which has been designated as a local drop-off point.

Shoeboxes will be collected at the church on the following days and times: Monday through Friday, Nov. 18 to 22, from 6 to 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 23 and 24, from 1 to 4 p.m.; and Monday, Nov. 25, from 10 a.m. to noon.

There will be a potluck lunch and packing party at the church, which is open to the public, on Sunday, Nov. 17, following the Sunday service at 12:30 p.m. All supplies will be provided.

OCC is a program of the Samaritan's Purse Christian relief organization, which is led by Franklin Graham, the elder son of evangelist Billy Graham. As part of the program, the community is asked to fill shoeboxes with toys, school supplies, washcloths, T-shirts and other items, many of which can be purchased at a dollar store. The boxes are distributed to children in time for Christmas.

Leading the effort at ENCF are Rachael and Anthony Gerhart, who noted that ENCF recently sponsored an OCC float in the Elverson Parade encouraging people to donate shoeboxes.

Those who donate boxes may wrap them with holiday paper, but the lid and box should be wrapped separately. For those who are able, a $10 donation should be placed in the box to cover shipping costs. However, boxes without the shipping donation will also be accepted.

Anthony explained that the church has been taking part in the activity for 13 years, but it has been a central drop-off location for six years. "My wife knew about this before we were married. That's how our church found out about it. It is a passion for her to do this," he stated.

"We would (collect) 50 to 100 boxes as a church and we built up to 100, and this year we are doing 150 boxes," added Rachael.

The couple noted that shoebox gifts, which are divided by gender and age group, should contain a "wow" item. "We (include) soccer balls as the wow item. They are deflated, but they come with a pump," said Anthony. "We cater to (providing gifts for) older boys, ages 10 to 15."

"They are most missed," added Rachael. "When (Samaritan's Purse volunteers) hand out boxes, they (sometimes) would not have enough for that age group."

Other suggestions include stuffed animals and school supplies, including pencils, pens, crayons and paper.

"A wow item to a child could be a pair of socks or a hat. They are very underprivileged. Sometimes they have never got a gift at all in their lives," said Rachael. "These are all things that our children take for granted."

Anthony told the story of a shoebox distribution in Paraguay, where volunteers came across a box with only one shoe. "They prayed about it, and they decided to leave it in," said Anthony. "This shoebox went to a family of a child who had lost one leg. The shoe was the exact fit and right size. The family ended up becoming believers of Jesus because they needed a sign and this shoe (appeared). Things like that motivate us."

Those with questions about what gifts may be included as well as those who want to track their shoebox may visit http://www.samaritanspurse.org, select "What We Do" and then choose "Operation Christmas Child." "We recommend that people go online to get their labels printed, so they see where their box goes," Anthony added.

According to the website, Samaritan's Purse has provided OCC shoebox gifts to more than 220 million children in more than 170 countries and territories since 1993.

This year's National Collection Week will take place from Nov. 18 to Nov. 25. Boxes collected in Elverson will be transported to Newtown Square and then to the Baltimore Area OCC Processing Center in Maryland.

Sunday morning worship at East Nantmeal Christian Fellowship is held at 10:45 a.m. Attendees may also enjoy coffee and snacks prior to the service. To learn more about the church, visit http://www.encf.info or search for "ENCF Church" on Facebook.