Layne Jones
What is Operation Christmas Child? It is a world-wide annual event, a division of Samaritan’s Purse headed by Franklin Graham and supported through our local Robson Ranch Rock Springs Church. Each year thousands of volunteers gather items to fill Christmas Shoe Boxes for overseas children who have NOTHING.
This Year’s Accomplishments: Thanks to the power of prayer, our wonderful Rock Springs Church volunteers and many Robson Ranch residents, we filled/packed over 1,500 OCC boxes, double from 2016. Shipping each box costs $9, and our generous Robson community donated over $13,000, which covered the shipping for all our gifts. Our boxes were packed with locally donated items that will put smiles on faces of children in Peru. Upon arrival our gifts will be distributed by local Samaritan’s Purse volunteers who will share the Word of God with these children. Last year alone 12 million children around the world not only received their Christmas gift boxes, they completed the 12-week course accepting Jesus Christ as their Savior. Many of these children also bring their parents along their journey, and the parents also accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Rock Springs Church Volunteers: Nineteen of us spent November 29 and 30 in a donated warehouse in Corona, CA. Each volunteer worked over four hours each day inspecting the already filled boxes from the Southern U.S. region for non-compliant items (cash, liquids, candy, military items, used toys or clothing, etc.) The removed items were replaced with age/gender appropriate donated gifts (sorted by Lyn Bishop) and then passed to our tapers, scanners and packers. Our volunteers, led by Bev and Dave Douglas, included: Teresa and Jim Baxter; Lyn and Steve Bishop; Layne and Jeff Jones; Rene and Lee Kleinjan; Dee and Eldon Lee; Veronica and Greg Long; Terry and Dard Price; Alyce Sandusky (Bev’s sister from Oregon); Betty and Lew Sforzini. Along with other church volunteers from So Cal we packed over 40,000 boxes those two days, which will be sent to minister to the children of the Philippines.
Now that OCC 2017 is complete we are starting on our 2018 mission to find more items to fill our goal of over 2,000 boxes. Here’s how you can help.
We Need Shoppers: As you are browsing the aisles of Wal-Mart, Target, Kohl’s, Dollar Tree, etc. please keep your eyes open for bargains that you would be willing to purchase and donate to fill our Christmas Shoe Boxes. Tops on the list are stuffed animals (small), washcloths, soap and combs, back to school supplies, leftover holiday/summer toys, socks, flip-flops. Whatever small items you can find will be greatly appreciated. Please NO liquids or food items.
Submit your donations to Bev and Dave Douglas at [email protected].
Volunteer and Fill your own Box information will be noted later this summer.
Thank you to all who helped this past year!
May God bless you and guide you through 2018!