By ALEXANDRA SMITH
Sports Editor
As the Christmas season approaches, more and more charity groups look for donations from the community. Many college students struggle to finish out the semester and are pinching pennies until they can make it home for winter break.
Operation Christmas Child is a program through the Samaritan’s Purse organization. “Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world,” according to their website.
Since 1993, more than 100 million boys and girls in over 130 countries have experienced God’s love through the power of simple shoebox gifts from Operation Christmas Child.
Students can help out with this organization for about $20. To help with this organization, use an empty cardboard or plastic shoebox. Decide whether your gift will be for a boy or a girl, and the age category: 2-4, 5-9 or 10-14. Mark the correct age category, and tape the label to the top of your box. Fill the box with a variety of gifts that will bring delight to a child. Help cover shipping and other costs related to delivering your shoeboxes to children overseas by donating $7 for each gift you prepare. Place a rubber band around each closed shoebox and bring it to the drop-off location nearest you.
For anyone here at Piedmont College, the closest drop off location would be First Baptist Church, located at 325 Oak Street, Cornelia Georgia.
Some suggestions for items to put in a shoebox are: small toys, school supplies, hygeine items, accessories and a personal note.
Samaritan’s Purse asks that these items not to be included: used or damaged items; war-related items such as toy guns, knives or military figures; chocolate or food; out-of-date candy; liquids or lotions; medications or vitamins; breakable items such as snow globes or glass containers; aerosol cans.
This is an affordable way to give back this season. Skip going out to dinner with your friends one week, refrain from buying that new shirt, or split the cost of the box with a friend.
An exciting way for groups and individuals to serve through Operation Christmas Child is to volunteer at one of their collection sites, if creating a box is not an option.