From staff reports

 

Orange County is being called to the front line to make Christmas special for children overseas through Operation Christmas Child this season.

Donation sites in Orange and Vidor join 5,000 drop-off locations across the U.S. collecting toys. To contribute to 2018’s global goal to reach 11 million children, Orange-area churches, families and groups hope to collect nearly 13,500 gifts this season.

“We are honored to be linking arms with our community to help children around the world experience the true meaning of Christmas,” said regional director Matt McClelland. “These simple gifts show God’s love to children facing difficult circumstances.”

Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse, partners with local churches to fill empty shoeboxes with donated toys and deliver the “tangible expressions of God’s love” to children in areas of poverty, disease, famine, and war.

Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has delivered gift-filled shoeboxes to over 157 million children in more than 160 countries.

Those who wish can visit samaritanspurse.org/buildonline and select gifts matched to a child’s age and gender to fill a shoebox for them. Participants can also donate $9 per shoebox gift online and “Follow Your Box” through a tracking label to discover its destination.

 

Drop off toys in Orange at First Baptist Church, located at 7637 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Nov. 12 through Nov. 19 at the following times:

• Monday, Nov. 12, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Tuesday, Nov. 13, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Wednesday, Nov. 14, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Thursday, Nov. 15, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 16, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 17, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 18, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Monday, Nov. 19, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

 

Drop off toys in Vidor at First United Methodist Church, located at 501 N Main Street Nov. 12 through Nov. 19 at the following times:

• Monday, Nov. 12 through Thursday, Nov. 15, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 16, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 17, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
• Sunday, Nov. 18, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Monday, Nov. 19, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.