Operation Christmas Child 2009 in Atlanta

ATLANTANS COLLECT GIFTS FOR SAMARITAN’S PURSE AND THE WORLD’S LARGEST CHRISTMAS PROJECT

Nov. 16-23: Atlanta Hopes to Gather 100,000 Gift-Filled Shoe Boxes for Hurting Children Overseas

ATLANTA—It’s beginning to look like Christmas in the metro area, as local businesses, churches and homes prepare to serve as collection points for Operation Christmas Child. Soon, with the help of Atlanta-area volunteers, the sites will be brimming with festively wrapped shoe boxes full of gifts.

Through Operation Christmas Child, the world’s largest Christmas project, Atlanta-area residents are packing shoe box gifts for children in more than 100 countries suffering from natural disaster, war, terrorism, disease, famine and poverty. From here, the shoe box gifts will be sorted and sent using whatever means necessary—sea containers, trucks, trains, airplanes, boats, camels, even dog sleds—to reach suffering children around the world.

Operation Christmas Child uses tracking technology that allows donors to follow their boxes to their destination countries, where they will be hand-delivered to children in need. To register shoe box gifts and to find out where they are delivered, use the EZ Give donation form found at www.samaritanspurse.org.

LOCAL COLLECTION SITES*

Operation Christmas Child—Atlanta Processing Center
2800 Vista Ridge Drive, Suite 200
Suwanee, GA 30024
770-777-9342

First Baptist Church of Atlanta
4400 North Peachtree Road
Atlanta, GA 30338
770-234-8300

The Church of The Apostles
3585 Northside Parkway NW
Atlanta, GA 30327
404-842-0200

Briarcliff Baptist Church
3039 Briarcliff Road NE
Atlanta, GA 30329
404-633-6103

Calvary Chapel Alpharetta
200 James Road
Alpharetta, GA 30004
770-442-8167

Life Care Center of Lawrenceville
210 Collins Industrial Way
Lawrenceville, GA 30043
678-442-0777

Life Care Center of Gwinnett
3850 Safehaven Drive
Lawrenceville, GA 30044
770-923-0005

Mount Zion Baptist Church
1525 Scenic Highway
Snellville, GA 30078
770-972-5020

Mountain Park First Baptist Church
5485 Five Forks Trickum Road
Stone Mountain, GA 30087
770-921-1452

In 2008, the Atlanta area contributed some 75,000 boxes to the Operation Christmas Child effort. This year, organizers hope to collect 100,000 gift-filled shoe boxes from families, churches, schools and civic organizations in the area.

Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child, a project of international Christian relief and evangelism organization Samaritan’s Purse, headed by Franklin Graham, has delivered more than 69 million gift-filled shoe boxes to needy children in some 130 countries.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO GET INVOLVED:

• PREPARE—Enlist families, churches, scout troops, community groups and businesses to take part in creating shoe box gifts for needy children worldwide.
• PACK—Fill shoe boxes with school supplies, toys, necessity items, hard candy and a letter of encouragement. Step-by-step shoe box packing instructions are available at www.samaritanspurse.org.
• PROCESS—Sign up to join Operation Christmas Child volunteers at collection sites in Atlanta as part of the effort to prepare millions of shoe box gifts for delivery to underprivileged kids on six continents.

*National Collection Week is Nov. 16-23. Collection hours will vary by location. For more information or to find even more drop-off points, visit www.samaritanspurse.org.

For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call 770-777-9342 or visit www.samaritanspurse.org.

MEDIA NOTE: For complete media materials, including media kit and high-resolution, downloadable photos, visit www.DeMossNews.com/OCC.

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