Thousands of shoeboxes collected for Operation Christmas Child in Wilmington

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — This is Samaritan’s Purse “Operation Christmas Child” national collection week. Monday, November 21, was the last day for people to drop off shoeboxes at one of the 9 area drop off locations.

Freedom Baptist Church is the central drop-off location for New Hanover, Brunswick, and Pender Counties.

Volunteers gathered up the shoeboxes and loaded them on trucks. The shoeboxes will make their way to the charlotte processing center. Before being sent to children in different countries across the world.

Organizers at the Wilmington drop-off location say they expect to surpass their goal for donated shoeboxes this year.

“We are prayerfully expecting 22,000 shoeboxes to come in at least, that’s our goal for this year, but we have seen so many boxes come in from Wilmington area donors, and across the Cape Fear Region, so we may even surpass that goal,” said Evan Lucas, Cape Fear Area coordinator for Operation Christmas Child.

“Hygiene items, soccer balls, dolls, puzzles, you think of it –we can get it in a box,” said Angela Talley, Cape Fear Area logistics coordinator for Operation Christmas Child.

Those who put together and donated shoeboxes for  “Operation Christmas Child” will be able to track where their donation will be delivered with a QR code.