While many families are already busy with holiday activities, a group of local volunteers is focused on filling empty shoeboxes with school supplies, toys, hygiene items and notes of encouragement for needy kids overseas.
Maui is participating in the world's largest Christmas project of its kind-Operation Christmas Child-an effort that has hand-delivered 86 million gifts to kids worldwide since 1993.
This year-round project of Samaritan's Purse is reaching its peak, as local businesses, churches and schools prepare to collect gift-filled shoe boxes during National Collection Week, Monday, Nov. 14 through Monday, Nov. 21.
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Drop off shoeboxes filled with simple gifts for kids around the world at Hope Chapel in Kihei on or before Monday, Nov. 21.
Volunteers can drop off their shoebox gifts at Hope Chapel, 300 E. Welakahao Road in Kihei to help kids in 100 countries know they are loved and not forgotten.
Reception hours are Monday and Tuesday from noon to 4 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m., Friday from 3 to 8 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Monday from noon to 2 p.m.
Operation Christmas Child, a project of international Christian relief and evangelism organization Samaritan's Purse, uses whatever means necessary to reach suffering children around the world with these gifts of hope, including sea containers, trucks, trains, airplanes, boats, camels and dog sleds.
Tracking technology also allows donors to "follow" their box to the destination country where it will be hand-delivered to a child in need.
To register shoebox gifts and find out the destination country, use the Follow Your Box donation form found at www.samaritanspurse.org/occ.
For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call (714) 432-7030 or visit www.samaritanspurse.org/occ. Shoebox gifts are collected all year at the Samaritan's Purse headquarters in Boone, North Carolina.
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Prepare
Enlist families, churches, scout troops, community groups and businesses to take part in creating shoebox gifts for needy children worldwide.
Pack
Fill shoeboxes with school supplies, toys, necessity items and a letter of encouragement. Step-by-step shoebox packing instructions are available at www.samaritanspurse.org/occ.
Volunteer
Sign up to join Operation Christmas Child volunteers in Kihei as part of the effort to prepare millions of shoe box gifts for delivery to underprivileged kids on six continents.
