Operation Christmas Child delivers gifts of love

Sometimes love arrives in a shoebox.

At least that's the theory of Rachel and Rebecca Long, 15 and 9, who are busy stuffing shoeboxes for children half a world away.In each one they carefully place toys, hard candy, some school supplies, a picture of themselves, a letter about their family - and a heaping helping of hope.

It's Operation Christmas Child. And according to Alison Long of Calvary Chapel, it's one of the easiest and most meaningful ways to get involved with needy children around the globe.

Operation Christmas Child is one of many projects of Samaritan's Purse, a benevolent orgaization headed by Franklin Graham, son of evangelist The Rev. Billy Graham. Since it began in 1993, Operation Christmas Child has delivered more than 3.5 million Christmas gifts, packed in the shoeboxes, to children in war-torn and crisis areas around the globe.

The project is appealing, in part, said Long, because it doesn't take a lot of money and it makes a big difference to children. All you have to do is fill a shoebox with small toys, school supplies, hygiene items like soap and combs and toothbrushes and toothpaste, as well as hard candies. Each box must also contain $5 to cover shipping and handling, placed in plain sight on top of the other items.

Toy guns, knives and other implements of war MUST NOT be included. Nor should chocolates or perishable items, liquids (including shampoo or lotion), medicines or breakable items. All the items must be new.

"My kids love doing it," said Alison Long. They write their own letters and put in a picture. It helps take the focus off give me presents. They are learning to give."

Although the Longs have participated for a long time, this is the first year that Utah has its own collection center: Calvary Chapel, which Alison's husband, Terry Long, pastors, at 7136 S. 1700 East. People are expected to bring shoeboxes down before Nov. 22 from as far away as Wyoming and other surrounding states. Volunteers will spend about two days loading the boxes into bigger boxes, which will be placed in a trailer that a truck will take to the main distribution center. There, the items will be shipped by plane and boat to more than 43 countries where Samaritan's Purse volunteers will hand them out to needy children.