Staff photo / Bob Coupland Missy McFarland of Hubbard was among the volunteers at Chestnut Ridge Church of God in Hubbard who helped this past week in preparing and collecting Operation Christmas Child boxes that will be shipped from the area.

HUBBARD — Local organizations, churches and community members have been spending the past week filling colorful shoeboxes with toys, hygiene items, socks and other items for children worldwide.

The effort is part of Samaritan’s Purse’s Operation Christmas Child with today being the last collection day before boxes are shipped from Wildare Church in Champion.

Wildare Church volunteers will be loading the boxes into the semi-trailers today.

One local collection site was Chestnut Ridge Church of God in Hubbard, the Rev. Robert McFarland, pastor, said they are taking boxes today to Wildare for placement on trucks.

The volunteers at the church had items such as stuffed animals, toothbrushes, soccer balls that needed to be inflated, and a small Jesus figurine attached to a stuffed turtle.

“They always like to have a ‘wow item’ inside the box such as a doll, soccer ball or stuffed animal which are the larger items inside the box. This way the child opens up the box and says ‘wow!’,” McFarland said.

The church purchased the items for the boxes.

He said the church has been open for at least two hours each of the past seven days for box collection and has seen more than 460 boxes brought in, and members of the church have filled up more than 100 boxes themselves.

McFarland said when he became aware of Operation Christmas Child, he wanted the church to be a dropoff location.

He said Dr. Rudy Braydich, a local dentist, serves as the regional director for Operation Christmas Child, and asked if the church could be a local collection site.

“We see that every box represents a gospel opportunity. They don’t just hand out boxes and say ‘Merry Christmas’ but when they pass out the boxes, the gospel of Jesus Christ is presented. We are part of the greater community trying to make a difference in the world,” McFarland said.

VOLUNTEERS ARE BUSY

Patty Helsley of Sharon, Pa. said she likes volunteering because of the fun of picking a variety of different items to place into each box.

She said she likes placing the little Jesus figurine in the box that she hopes will bring a smile to children’s faces.

“We take a box and just fill it up with toys and stuffed animals,” Helsley said, noting she tries to get at least 10 items in each box.

Missy McFarland of Hubbard said each box is labeled for a boy or girl and their age.

“I just imagine the children’s faces as they open up the box and see what is inside. It surprises them,” she said.

Organizers said each box has a scan code for each label on the box and will let someone know the destination for each box. People can keep track of where the boxes they filled goes.

Event organizers said since 1993, more than 232 million children in more than 170 countries and territories have received an Operation Christmas Child shoebox.

“Children need hope, and they need to know that they are not alone and God loves them. Gift-filled shoeboxes open the door for us to share the hope of the gospel with boys and girls around the world,” said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse.