Dayton Group Helps Needy Kids

DAYTON - While local communities prepare for black Friday sales, the world- wide organization Operation Christmas Child's Dayton volunteers aim to bring the spirit of Christmas to under- privileged children.

The program, which started in the United States almost 20 years ago, collects dona- tions of shoeboxes filled with small toys and personal items and ships them to children who live in war-torn coun- tries and countries classified as third world, Tri-Cities volunteer and area organizer Fay Smith said.

Last year, the Dayton area collected 108 shoebox gifts, Smith said. Dayton's dona- tions are sent in to the area collection point, in Richland, where donations are sent from the region between the Tri-Cities and La Grande, Ore. The region collected about 12,000 donated boxes last year, Smith said.

The donations are all gathered up into a freight trailer and hand delivered to children in other countries. Nationally, about five million boxes were donated, Smith said.

"It's pretty awesome," Smith said. "It's an enormous operation."

At the local level, Smith said, the project is a way for people to do something and know that they are making a child happy in another country.

"It might be as simple as a toothbrush, a bar of soap, a washcloth or toys," Smith said.

Smith said there were two girls who received a shoebox while they were living in an orphanage in the Ukraine.

"This was the first pres- ent they had received in their entire life," Smith said.

The girls, who were adopted and now live in the United States, suggested donors include a small stuffed animal in the shoebox because it gives many of those children something to hold and love, Smith said.

"It tells them there's some- body out there who cares about them," Smith said.

There are some restrictions on what can be included in the boxes, Smith said. Program organizers ask that no toy guns or anything to do with war is included in the box because many of the kids have had their homes and countries ravaged by war, Smith said. They also ask no to send anything liquid because it is likely to break or spill or any choco- late which tends to melt in warmer countries and leave a large mess.

All boxes will have the Christmas story, translated to the child's native language, included to spread the gospel.

Dayton coordinator Karen Dyball suggested adding school supplies or hygiene items, especially something like a toothbrush, to the box.

Dyball said donated boxes must have a rubber band around them and a donation of $7 is suggested to cover shipping. If a donor makes the shipping donation online, they can track where their box is sent, Dyball said.

Boxes can be dropped off next to the Community Bible Church on 203 South Second St. in Dayton. Dyball said there will be a sign out and collection times will be 2 to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thurs- day, Nov. 15, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 17, and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Nov. 18.

There will be a dedication ceremony for the boxes on Sunday, Nov. 19, before they are sent to the Tri-Cities to be collected.

For more information about Operation Christmas Child, visit www.samaritans- purse.org/occ.