ATHOL — The Athol-Orange Baptist Church, at 131 Ridge Avenue, served as a drop-off site this month for the Samaritan’s Purse project, Operation Christmas Child — joining nearly 5,000 locations throughout the United States collecting gift-filled shoe boxes for children in need around the world. The Athol-Orange Baptist Church collected 247 shoe boxes, which were decorated and filled with as many gift items as the box could hold; gifts for children who basically have nothing and in many cases, have never received a present.
During the project’s National Collection Week, Nov. 12 to 19, area residents filled the boxes with school supplies, hygiene items and toys. The boxes are distributed by Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian organization with Franklin Graham as its CEO. Last year, 11 million children in 170 countries received a box. Operation Christmas Child, known at the local baptist church as “the shoebox ministry” has participated in this for many years. Items are gathered throughout the year for children ages 2 to 14 and include things such as yoyos, socks, soap, school supplies, whistles, crayons, dolls, cars and trucks, mittens, tooth brushes and combs.