From November 16 through 23, there will be curbside drop-off sites open for Operation Christmas Child gifts.

More than 4,000 locations will now offer a curbside drop-off option for the Samaritan’s Purse project, Operation Christmas Child. Volunteers are preparing to collect shoebox gifts during National Collection Week, November 16 ­through 23.

In Maryville, the Calvary Chapel, Maryville, 24770 Interlude Road has set the following times and dates for drop offs: 3 to 7 pm, Monday, November 16 through Friday, November 20; 1 to 4 pm, Saturday, November 21 and Sunday, November 22. Then at 8 am to 10 am, Monday, November 23.

Operation Christmas Child has been collecting and delivering shoebox gifts, filled with school supplies, hygiene items and fun toys, to children worldwide for more than two decades. This is a project that everyone can still be a part of, even with COVID-19 restrictions.

There’s still time for individuals, families, and groups to transform empty shoeboxes into fun gifts. The project partners with local churches across the globe to deliver these tangible expressions of God’s love to children in need. Find a step-by-step guide on the How to Pack a Shoebox webpage.

“In the midst of the pandemic, the needs are greater than ever before,” said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse. “Children around the world need to know that God loves them and there is hope. A simple shoebox gift opens the door to share about the true hope that can only be found in Jesus Christ.”