Volunteers in the new North Central Louisiana (NCLA) Division are preparing to collect Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts during National Collection Week, which is scheduled for November 17 – 24!

NCLA serves 6 rural parishes, including Lincoln, Bienville, Union, Claiborne, Webster, and Jackson Parish, which is under the direction of Donna Ferguson of Chatham.

The drop-off point for Jackson Parish is at Caney Lake Baptist Church, located at 10030 La-4301 in Chatham, LA, with additional drop-off locations being at Temple Baptist Church in Ruston and First Baptist Church in Minden.

Participants can find the location and hours of operation of their nearest drop-off locations at this link:
https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/drop-off-locations/.

Operation Christmas Child has been collecting and delivering gift-filled shoeboxes to children, including many who are suffering from war, poverty, disease, and disaster, for many years. OCC hopes to reach many children in 2025 with the hope of Jesus. Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse, seeks to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world and, together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

“Children need hope, and they need to know that they are not alone and God loves them,” said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse.

Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 220 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories.
Shoebox packing is fun for individuals, families and groups!

A step-by-step guide on how to pack a shoebox can be found by clicking here or going to the How to Pack a Shoebox webpage. “Follow Your Box” participants can pay $10 for shipping/supplies and receive a tracking label to discover the destination of the shoebox  at https://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/

Make a difference in a child’s life by packing a shoebox! Your support is greatly appreciated. Questions can be directed to Brenda Teal, NCLA Area Coordinator at 318-663-7508 or brendateal16@gmail.com.