Up & Coming Weekly

November 17, 2015

Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.

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NOVEMBER 18-24, 2015 UCW 19 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM The Samaritan's Purse is a Christian-based organization founded in 1973 by Bob Pierce that seeks to bring relief in the name of Jesus. It has a variety of programs that span the globe and address a number of issues. One of the most successful is the annual Operation Christmas Child. This program brings donated shoeboxes full of gifts to needy children all over the world. The collection period runs through Nov. 23. Families that choose to participate are encouraged to find just an average cardboard shoebox and pack it full of gifts like toys, hygiene items and school supplies. Local churches and other organizations take the filled shoeboxes to specific collection locations. There, Operation Christmas Child volunteers ensure that the boxes get to children around the globe. These gifts may seem like a small contribution but Nicole Nelson, the Fayetteville Area coordinator, explains, "It is beyond a simple Christmas gift. It wasn't until I had kids that I really started getting emotional about this. This may be all that kid gets, it could be the first gift they've ever gotten. It could be the first time that they've had a hygiene item or school supplies. In other countries you can't even go to school until you have supplies and this could be the start of their education. After they receive the boxes the recipients go through a 12-week discipleship. When they graduate, they get a copy of the Bible in their own language. And this could be the only thing they've graduated from and the only copy of the Bible they have. There is so much potential in these shoeboxes. " There is nothing small about this project be it impact or reach. It has grown every year despite global hardship. "I have been the Fayetteville area coordinator for just two years. Fayetteville has been collecting shoeboxes as an area for 10 years. We have had year-round volunteers for three years," Nelson said. "This year our goal is 40,000. Last year our goal was 36,000 and we did a little over 36,000." And these figures are just for the Fayetteville area." Despite the large numbers of boxes that are processed and shipped in North Carolina alone, Nelson emphasizes the importance of every single contribution. "Every box has an impact. Even if you can only do one - that one box could have an impact that touches thousands. People are so disheartened when they come to me and say, 'I could only do one this year.' But I say 'praise God! That's one more box then there would have been…and every box matters,'" she said. The very heart of this program is in the personal impact that the boxes make. This is about changing a single child's life for the better with selfless love. When packing shoeboxes Nelson suggests adding a personal touch. A letter or a picture often makes a lasting impression after the treats and toys are gone. It is the love that really matters, after all. She also advises, "Think quality not quantity. You could put all the happy meal toys in the boxes and I'm sure they would be thrilled for a while, but that's not what I would give to my kids. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with going to the dollar store and filling the boxes with a million things, but I would say think quality not quantity. These should be things that you would give to your nieces or nephews." For those interested in supporting Operation Christmas Child visit http:// www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/pack-a-shoe-box/. Collection week lasts from Nov. 16 to 23. Nelson also suggests increasing your family's shoebox impact next year, "Pack year-round. Honestly, all over the world money is tight around the holidays, so make this a year-round ministry. And push for growth, like we do. If you did one box last year then try to do two boxes this year." Operation Christmas Child: A Message of Hope by ERINN CRIDER a time to celebrate, remember and give thanks... We're thankful for the men and women who have served this great nation. We salute the first responders who work tirelessly to save the lives of others, the soldiers who fight to continue preserving our freedom and every citizen hero who selflessly helps those who cannot help themselves – by donating blood, sheltering the homeless, feeding the hungry, teaching a child, or caring for a friend. This holiday season be thankful. Give back. Spend some quality time with your loved ones. Enjoy a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. t h a n k s g i v i n g this is your hospital billiards poker sports trivia live music DJ yesterdaysgrille.com (919) 499-0100 98 Amarillo Lane Sanford, NC 27332 ERINN CRIDER, Staff Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomingweekly.com. 910.484.6200 Operation Christmas Child brings joy to children all over the world.

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