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Ava Residents to Send Christmas Gifts to Children Around the World

(Ava-MO) First Southern Baptist Church is hosting the Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Gifts in our area, and will be set up to receive shoebox gifts from Nov. 12-19

First Southern Baptist Church in Ava will serve as one of around 5,000 U.S. locations collecting gift-filled shoeboxes for children living in poverty overseas through the Samaritan’s Purse project Operation Christmas Child — the world’s largest Christmas project of its kind.

During National Collection Week, Nov. 12 – 19, area residents may donate shoeboxes filled with school supplies, hygiene items, notes of encouragement and fun toys, such as a doll or soccer ball.  Operation Christmas Child will then deliver the gifts to children in need around the world. 

This year, residents in Ava and surrounding communities will be contributing toward the 2018 global goal of reaching 11 million children.

In Ava, the drop-off location will receive shoebox gifts during the following times:

The First Southern Baptist Church is located at 732 NW 3rd Avenue, in Ava, and the operating hours are as follows: 

  • Monday, Nov. 12, 9 a.m. – noon, 4-6 p.m.
  • Tuesday, Nov. 13, 9 a.m. – noon
  • Wednesday, Nov. 14, 9 a.m. – noon
  • Thursday, Nov. 15, 9 a.m. – noon
  • Friday, Nov. 16, 9 a.m. – noon
  • Saturday, Nov. 17, 10 a.m. – noon
  • Sunday, Nov. 18, 12:30-2:30 p.m.
  • Monday, Nov. 19, 9-11 a.m.

For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call (417) 683-4130 or visit samaritanspurse.org/occ. 

Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham. The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 157 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 160 countries and territories. For many of these children, the gift-filled shoebox is the first gift they have ever received.

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