Operation Christmas Child season is here.

Students and other members of the Catawba College community packed 488 Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes on Thursday at a packing party held in the Cannon Student Center on campus.

And this week, during National Collection Week, several locations in the Salisbury area will serve as collection sites where people can drop off the boxes they have prepared.

The annual Samaritan’s Purse project is a favorite of many Salisbury residents, families, churches and groups who spread joy to millions of children around the world by filling shoeboxes with a “wow!” item — like a doll or soccer ball — other fun toys, school supplies, hygiene items and notes of encouragement.

“Through the simple act of filling a shoebox, someone in Salisbury can make a tangible difference in the life of a child halfway around the world. Anyone can participate and bring joy to a child facing difficult circumstances,” said Regional Director Keith Burney.

Catawba’s shoebox project continues this week. Students will be packing additional shoeboxes on Tuesday during lunch. This is the fifth year that Catawba students have packed shoeboxes at a packing party and the 17th year for Catawba’s participation in Operation Christmas Child.

Those who have packed a shoebox on their own may bring their shoebox to the Catawba College Student Affairs Office in the Cannon Student Center before Nov. 20 and it will be included in the collection pickup.

Several area churches are also serving as collection sites. During National Collection Week, Nov. 16-23, Salisbury and surrounding area residents hope to contribute more than 25,000 gift-filled shoeboxes to the 2015 global goal of reaching 11 million children in need.

Collection sites include:

Kannapolis — Central Baptist Church, 
1810 Moose Road.
 

Monday through Friday, Nov. 16-20 and Monday, Nov. 23, 9 a.m.-1  p.m. and 6 p.m.-9 p.m.  
Saturday, Nov. 21, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; 
Sunday Nov. 22, 1-6 p.m.

Concord — Poplar Grove Baptist Church
, 3476 Poplar Tent Road
. 

Monday, Nov. 16 through Friday, Nov.20, and Monday, Nov. 23, 5-8 p.m.
; 

Saturday, Nov. 21, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
; Sunday, Nov. 22: 3-6 p.m.

Pitts Baptist Church, 
140 Pitts School Road
. 

Monday, Nov. 16 through Friday, Nov. 20, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.
; 
Saturday, Nov. 21: 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; Sunday, Nov. 22, 8-9 a.m.; 
Monday, Nov. 23, 9-11 a.m.

Faith — Shiloh Reformed Church of Faith
, 100 S Main St. 

Monday, Nov. 16 through Friday, Nov. 20, 5-7 p.m.
; Saturday, Nov. 21: 9 a.m-noon; Sunday, Nov. 22: 1-3 p.m.
; Monday, Nov. 23: 9-10 a.m.

Mooresville – Broad Street United Methodist Church, 
355 S. Broad St.. 

Monday, Nov. 16 through Sunday, Nov. 23,: noon-6 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 23: 9-11:30 a.m.

Berea Baptist Church
, 1015 River Highway. 

Monday, Nov. 16, noon-5 p.m.; 
Tuesday, Nov. 17, 3-6 p.m.
; Wednesday, Nov. 18, noon-5 p.m.
; Thursday, Nov. 19: 4-8 p.m.
; Friday, Nov. 20, 8-11 a.m.
; Saturday, Nov. 21, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; 
Sunday, Nov. 22, 1-5 p.m.
; Monday, Nov. 23, 9-11 a.m.

Salisbury – St. John’s Lutheran Church, 
200 W. Innes St. 

Monday, Nov. 16, 2-5 p.m.
; Tuesday, Nov. 17: 3-5 p.m.
; Wednesday, Nov. 18, 4-6 p.m.
; Thursday, Nov. 19, noon-2 p.m.
; Friday, Nov. 20, 2-5 p.m.; 
Saturday, Nov. 21, 1-2 p.m.
; Sunday, Nov. 22: 1-3 p.m.; 
Monday, Nov. 23: 9 a.m.-noon.

Woodleaf – South River United Methodist Church
, 2880 S. River Church Road
. 

Monday, Nov. 16 through Saturday, Nov. 21, 10:30 a.m.-noon; 
Sunday, Nov. 22, 12:30-2 p.m.
; Monday, Nov. 23, 9-10 a.m.

Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has delivered gift-filled shoeboxes to more than 124 million children in more than 150 countries and territories.

For more information about how to participate in Operation Christmas Child call 704-583-1763. With a computer or mobile device, anyone can conveniently pack a personalized Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift on the Samaritan’s Purse website.
Go to samaritanspurse.org/occ to select toys and gift items, write a note of encouragement and “pack” them in a shoebox. These gifts of hope will go to children in some of the hardest-to-reach countries.

For more information on the OCC project and suggestions for items to pack in the shoeboxes, go to www.samaritanspurse.org and click on Operation Christmas Child.