CHURCH DONATES GIFT BOXES TO NEEDY CHILDREN AROUND THE GLOBE
DEC. 11, 2007
Volunteers from Lee’s Summit Community Church, 1440 S.W. Jefferson, purchased and packaged 524 Christmas gift boxes for needy children throughout the world and loaded them for shipment at the end of November.
Hundreds of church members participated in Operation Christmas Child, which delivers gifts to impoverished children, including orphans. Volunteers designated each shoebox-sized package for a boy or a girl and filled them with toys and practical items such as toothbrushes and school supplies. They also donated funds to ship the packages, many of which are headed to remote destinations such as Africa or Asia.
In the past five years, the church has donated about 3,800 gift boxes to children around the world.
In addition to toys and toiletries, the boxes contain literature explaining the spiritual meaning of Christmas surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ. The goal of Operation Christmas Child is to meet small, practical needs of children. It lets them know that they are loved by God and people around the globe.
“We hope this annual event helps our members build giving and service into their lifestyle throughout the year,” said Mike Knight, one of the church’s pastors. “This project also helps to develop an awareness of global needs and enables people to act to meet those needs. Shopping for and filling shoeboxes has become a holiday tradition for many families. It teaches kids to think of others and to share without expecting a gift in return.”
More information about Operation Christmas Child is available at www.samaritanspurse.org. More information about Lee’s Summit Community Church, 1440 S.W. Jefferson, is available at www.lscckc.org.
Contact |
Please contact Roy Harryman, director of communications, for more information at 816.524.6786 x104.