Linton families join in to provide school supplies for the world’s needy kids

Local families are joining others in preparing for the school year with back-to-school sales and adding more items to their lists for children in need around the world. Shoebox packers are using this time to purchase gifts and essential items to fill Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts. Children in over 100 countries will be blessed by these gift-filled shoeboxes.

Many children around the world are not able to afford school supplies and pencils, crayons and markers are a luxury many cannot access.

For Olesea Makarets, a shoebox recipient from Moldova, markers in her home were shared among her siblings. The colorful markers were used until the very last drop, and then she and her siblings would dip the markers in water to try to make them last longer.

When Makarets received an Operation Christmas Child shoebox, she remembers what stood out to her most.

“I couldn’t take my eyes off a pack of colorful markers,” she said. “My siblings and I shared the markers we had but now I had received a pack of my very own.” This simple gift deeply impacted Makarets’ life. She said, “Receiving a shoebox gift made me realize that Jesus is real.” The power of packing school supplies in shoebox gifts can transform a child’s life and point them toward a greater hope.

For more information, call 937-374-0761, or visit samaritanspurse.org/occ.

National Collection Week is Nov. 18 – 25. Participants can donate $10 per shoebox gift online through “Follow Your Box” and receive a tracking label to discover its destination. Those who prefer the convenience of online shopping can browse samaritanspurse.org/buildonline to select gifts matched to a child’s specific age and gender, then finish packing the virtual shoebox by adding a photo and personal note of encouragement.