HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Central Christian School students cheered Monday as they finished counting 76 shoebox gifts for Operation Christmas Child, continuing a long-standing tradition of supporting the international project.
Elementary principal Judy Parsons told students during the schoolwide gathering that their shoebox may be the only gift a child receives. She encouraged them to view the effort as a form of missionary work. Many students hugged their boxes before Parsons led a prayer for the children who will ultimately receive them.
Classes brought their boxes forward in order, starting with kindergarten, stacking them at the front of the room and counting aloud together. The 76 gifts will contribute to a regional goal of more than 35,000 shoeboxes being collected across south-central Kansas this week. Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse, aims to collect 12.6 million gifts worldwide this year.
Central Christian has participated in the project for many years. Students fill their boxes with school supplies, personal care items and small toys, often adding a photo and personal note. Many also track their boxes online to learn which of more than 160 countries their gift is delivered to.
Area volunteer Dawnita Miller said she appreciates how the project includes people of all ages. “We’re so grateful for every one of these shoebox gifts because they open the door for the Gospel to be shared,” she said.
National Collection Week runs Nov. 17–24. Two Hutchinson drop-off sites are open at First Baptist Church, 800 N. Main St., and First Southern Baptist Church, 1201 E. 23rd Ave. Information on hours, packing instructions and online box-building options is available at SamaritansPurse.org/occ.