Drop off point announced for Operation Christmas Child

MOSES LAKE — Churches and individuals donating to Operation Christmas Child can drop off the shoeboxes at the Lake City Foursquare Church, 333 North Central Dr., from Nov. 14 to 21.

Donations can be dropped off at the church from 1 to 5 p.m. Nov. 14 through 17. Donations also will be accepted from 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 16. The church will also be open for donations from 2 to 6 p.m. Nov. 18 and 19, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Nov. 20 and from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Nov. 21.

“It’s a simple project – you take a shoebox” and fill it with presents for kids, said Cheri Mattes, East Wenatchee, the regional coordinator. (The region includes Grant, Adams, Okanogan, Douglas and Chelan counties.) Participants are asked to fill it with good stuff, things like toys, games, school supplies, other items that can fit in a shoebox.

The boxes can be wrapped or unwrapped, but organizers must be able to open the box, so if the box is wrapped the lid must be wrapped separately.

The boxes should be targeted to girls or boys; there are three age groups, 2 to 4 years of age, 5 to 9 years of age and 10 to 14 years of age. Organizers suggest what they call a “wow” item, something medium size to capture the child’s attention. Those include a soccer ball with a pump, a doll or stuffed animal, an outfit or shoes.

Suggestions for filling the rest of the box include smaller toys – extra batteries should be included for toys that need them – crayons and other school supplies, non-liquid hygiene items like washcloths and toothbrushes, accessories like T-shirts and socks, jewelry and hair ornaments, flashlights (with extra batteries).

Mattes said some gifts are not accepted, including liquids, things that might melt, glass, and war-themed toys. Bubbles and glue are not accepted, she said.

The boxes are sent to children worldwide, 11.2 million boxes donated in 2015 alone. Churches, organizations and individuals in the central Washington region donated 8,500 boxes in 2015, Mattes said.

The goal is to show kids “first of all, somebody cares about them. There is hope and there can be a light in your life,” Mattes said. “We do this with a lot of prayer.”

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com.