Operation Christmas Child is ongoing, with volunteers collecting gifts during National Collection Week, which ends on Nov. 22.

Operation Christmas Child has been collecting and delivering shoebox gifts – filled with school supplies, hygiene items and fun toys – to children worldwide since 1993.

“Individuals, families and groups still have time to transform empty shoeboxes into fun gifts,” reads a press release for the event. “The project partners with local churches across the globe to deliver these tangible expressions of God’s love to children in need.”

Additional information, as well as a step-by-step guide to packing a shoebox, can be found at samaritanpurse.org.

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

Participants can find the nearest drop-off location and hours of operation as they make plans to drop off their shoebox gifts. The online lookup tool is searchable by city or ZIP code. Signs at each location will identify the drop-off. Locally, participants can drop off shoeboxes at JOY Christian Community Church, 13430 N. Saguaro Blvd., Bldg. 2. Hours are 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, Nov. 15-17. From Nov. 18-19, hours are 5-7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 20, shoeboxes can be delivered from 9-11 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 21, those hours are 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 22, hours are 9-11 a.m.

Those interested in more information on how Operation Christmas Child is making adjustments during its National Collection Week can visit the organization’s “COVID-19 Updates” page at samaritanpurse.org.

“Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse, seeks to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world and, together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ,” reads the press release. “Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 188 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 160 countries and territories.”