Now through Monday, Nov. 20, Sammamish Hills Lutheran Church, located at 22818 SE Eighth St. in Sammamish, is collecting shoe boxes full of gifts for Operation Christmas Child.

Nov. 13 –20 is Operation Christmas Child’s National Collection Week, when local residents will collect shoe box gifts filled with fun toys, school supplies and hygiene items. The Samaritan’s Purse project will deliver these gifts to children affected by war, disease, disaster, poverty and famine. The Eastside Washington Area Team volunteers have a goal of collecting more than 10,395 gifts during the week.

“It’s exciting to think of the impact our efforts will have in the life of each child who receives a shoe box,” said Regional Director Michael Ishmael in a press release. “We can’t wait to see how our community will respond this year to share God’s love with children across the globe.”

Sammamish and Issaquah residents are not alone in their effort to help children around the world. More than 150,000 volunteers including families, churches and other groups are joining forces to contribute to the largest Christmas project of its kind. In 2017, Operation Christmas Child hopes to collect enough shoe box gifts to reach 12 million children, with 10,395 coming from the Eastside Washington Area Team.

Participants can donate $9 per shoe box gift online through “Follow Your Box” and receive a tracking label to discover its destination. Those who prefer the convenience of online shopping can browse samaritanspurse.org/buildonline to select gifts matched to a child’s specific age and gender, then finish packing the virtual shoe box by adding a photo and personal note of encouragement.

Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham. The mission of Operation Christmas Child is 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. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 146 million gift-filled shoe boxes to children in more than 160 countries and territories.

For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child or to view gift suggestions, call 253-572-1155 or visit samaritanspurse.org/occ.