By MATT LINDSEY

Churches in Massena, Ogdensburg, Gouverneur, and Winthrop will serve as collection centers for Operation Christmas Child, which provides gifts to children in over 100 countries.

Victory Baptist Church, 601 Highway 11C, in Winthrop will host an event to highlight the benefits of Operation Christmas Child at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15.

Alina Aisina, who received one of the shoebox gifts while she was a child in Central Asia, will recount her story with area residents.

The event is open to the public.

Operation Christmas Child, which aims to collect and distribute gift-filled shoeboxes to children around the world, started in 1993 by Samaritan Purse, a humanity relations ministry.

The organizations president and CEO is the son of international evangelist Billy Graham, Franklin Graham.

“We encourage people to think about the experience the child will have opening the box,” said Media Relations Coordinator Lucas Zellers.

Those who fill shoeboxes can do so with a variety of toys, personal hygiene products, school supplies and more.

“That first thing they see … we like it to be a wow item …like a soccer ball for a boy or a doll for a girl,” he said.

Other items often included are notes of encouragement, a photo of the donor and return address for the child to send a thank you or note back to the donor, Zellers said.

Premade shoeboxes or homemade shoeboxes are suitable.

The cost of shipping is $7. Those who place an order online have the option to print a packing label to track their gift and see which country it ends up in.

Nationally, Operation Christmas Child provided 8.4 million shoebox gift for children, and 11.2 million globally. Shoeboxes are distributed to over 100 countries.

“The list changes from year to year depending on customs issues, connections that get lost and staff turnover,” Zellers said.

Drop off week is set for Nov. 14-21 and the locations and times are as follows:

• Victory Baptist Church, 607 State Highway 11C, Winthrop: Nov. 14-17, 6 to 8 p.m.; Nov 17, 5 to 8 p.m.; Nov. 19, 9 a.m. to noon; Nov. 20, noon to 4 p.m. and Nov. 21, 8 to 10 a.m.

• Rock Island Assembly of God, 214 Rock Island St., Gouverneur: Nov. 14, 16, 18, 6 to 8 p.m.; Nov. 15, 17, 19, 10 a.m. to noon; Nov. 21, 1 to 3 p.m.

• New Testament Church, 265 Andrews St., Massena: Nov. 14-7, 9 to 11 a.m.; Nov. 19, 10 a.m. to noon; Nov. 19-20, 10 a.m. to noon; Nov. 21, 8 to 10 a.m.

• New Life Assembly of God, 929 Park St., Ogdensburg: Nov. 14, 2 to 6 p.m.; Nov. 15-18, 4 to 6 p.m.; Nov. 19, 2 to 4 p.m.; Nov. 20, noon to 2 p.m.; Nov. 21, 8 to 9 a.m.

More info: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/.