Nearly 40,000 Shoe boxes Collected in ‘Operation Christmas Child’

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)-Nearly 40,000, gift-filled shoe boxes from Columbus, will be given to needy children around the world.

Thanks to local churches, schools, and other organizations 39,758 shoe boxes were collected in Columbus, as part of Operation Christmas Child.

These shoe boxes are filled with school supplies, hygiene items, and fun toys, and then delivered to children in some of the hardest to reach countries in the world.

Organizers say for many of these children, this gift will be the first gift they ever receive.

Although the deadline to finish collecting the boxes has passed, there’s still time to make a difference online. For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, or to view gift suggestions,  visit samaritanspurse.org/occ.