Statewide Iowa (RI) – Iowans who want to pack some holiday joy in a shoebox for kids around the world can drop them off this week at dozens of locations across the state.
Denise Moore, an area coordinator of Operation Christmas Child, says this annual effort brings in many thousands of gift boxes from Iowans, and millions of boxes nationwide.
The shoebox gifts go to children in 170 nations in all parts of the globe, she says, including some of the hardest-to-reach places, from deep jungles to remote villages on mountainsides.
During last year’s campaign, Moore was able to hand-deliver boxes to children in Romania.
The boxes are being collected this week as they have to go through a processing center before they’re carried by ship or plane to their final destinations.
Moore has a tip for Iowans who’d like to create their own Operation Christmas Child box.
There’s also an option to shop online where you can select gifts matched to a child’s specific age and gender, then finish packing the virtual shoebox by adding a photo and personal note of encouragement.
Now in its third decade, the operation hopes to collect shoeboxes throughout Iowa to help with the global goal to reach 12 million children.
KIWA Staff Photo
