Operation Christmas Child

WAITSBURG - Thousands of Operation Christmas Child (OCC) shoeboxes packed with gifts and school supplies for children in Third World countries will be collected Nov. 16-23 at church relay centers across the country. In 2014, a total of 16,814 shoebox gifts were given by local donors, including 152 from the Dayton-Waitsburg area.

The operation began 23 years ago by Samaritan's Purse, a Christian relief agency founded by Franklin Graham. Over 100 million shoebox gifts have been given to needy children since 1992.

The program has been operating locally for about 18 years and involves hundreds of...