Operation Christmas Child, a project of international Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse, delivers gift-filled shoeboxes to millions of children in need annually.

Local churches and organizations have packed shoebox gifts for boys and girls for years.

One of the gifts reached Yves Dushime when he was a young boy in Togo. He is visiting Fountain Hills/Scottsdale to share how the simple gift had an impact on his life.

The Operation Christmas Child Scottsdale area team is hosting Dushime. He will explain how the shoeboxes transformed his community at 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 27, at Scottsdale Bible Church, 7601 E. Shea Blvd.

Dushime is encouraging residents to participate in filling more than 12,000 shoeboxes with toys, school supplies and hygiene items.

Born to a family of eight in a refugee camp in Congo, he was 11 years old and living in Togo when he received an Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift. The box contained his favorite item, a scarf.

He saw the gift as a promise from God that He would deliver his family from their life as refugees. Through the program, he realized God is able to use simple gifts to plant seeds of hope.

Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 168 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 160 countries and territories.

If interested attending the event, contact occscottsdalearea@gmail.com or call Cheryl Johnson, 602-750-5408.