Operation Christmas Child Celebrates 30 Years; Volunteers Needed

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — Across the nation, Operation Christmas Child sets out to put together the essentials and gifts any kid could need and want.

“Many of the children that receive our shoeboxes if they don’t have school supplies they are not able to attend school. And so that’s one of the priority to put in a shoe box: pencils, pens, crayons, pencil sharpeners, erasers, notebooks, that kind of thing.”

Stacy Ness, an Area Coordinator for the Red River Valley area has been working with Operation Christmas Child for four years. She chose to apply for this role as she had previously volunteered with her family and decided she wants to help out.

“We packed two boxes with our kids when they were little and I ..I’ve always just loved. I have a great respect for Operation Christmas Child and Samaritan’s Purse.”

Operation Christmas Child brings supplies to children all across the world thanks to thousands of volunteers.

“We’ve had stories of where a child is had one pencil and that’s what he gets for the rest of the year for the whole school year. And if he loses it then he doesn’t get to school anymore.”

National Collection Week for shoeboxes will take place on the third week of November and locations for those drop offs will be posted onto their website.

To help volunteer for packing shoeboxes, the Triumph Lutheran Brethren Church will be hosting a packing party on September 21.