EAST LONGMEADOW – Cornerstone Church on Kibbe Road has had a longstanding connection with Operation Christmas Child to provide Christmas gifts to children in need. Operation Christmas Child is a Samaritan’s Purse Ministry Project that just recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. It is the largest Christmas project of its kind that touches the hearts of nearly 12 million children each year.

In 1993 Samaritan’s Purse started Operation Christmas Child and their shoebox gift mission. Since they started, Operation Christmas Child has delivered over 150 million shoeboxes to children in need.  The shoebox gifts are delivered all over the world to over 100 countries. These boxes are given to children who are in high-risk areas, often places that are hard to reach. Shoebox gifts are collected in the U.S., Australia, Finland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Japan, New Zealand, Canada, Spain, and the U.K.

Corey Barrette is the Northeast Regional Manager of Operation Christmas Child. He oversees all drop-off locations and branches of Operation Christmas Child in Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Barrette has been with Operation Christmas Child for a little over a year. Barrette said that he has been extremely pleased with working for Samaritan’s Purse. “Everything we do is done with excellence, the bar here is set very high for employees and volunteers” Barrette commented.

Samaritan’s Purse has an extensive list of ministry projects that help to benefit a broad range of people across the globe undergoing different hardships. Some of these ministry projects include International Crisis Response, World Medical Mission, Operation Heal Our Patriots and many more. Volunteers for Operation Christmas Child, along with any of their other missionary projects, are always needed. “We are always praying for people to get their community, schools or ministry more connected and involved in what we do.” Barrette said. Samaritan’s Purse accepts year round volunteers.

National Collection week is November 12-19. During this week boxes are collected from over 4,000 drop off sites in all 50 states. In East Longmeadow, shoeboxes can be donated at Cornerstone Church or a shoebox can even be custom made on their website to be mailed to a child in need. A tracking device can be added to each shoebox so donators know where and when their packages arrive.  

Items to include in a shoebox would be hygiene items, school supplies and fun, entertaining items such as soccer balls with a pump or clothing items. They kindly ask that donors avoid items such as candy, toothpaste, perishable foods or any item that is war related or involves weapons.

For more information on donating or volunteering for Operation Christmas Child or any other Samaritan Purse project, their website is https://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/#