When I heard about Operation Christmas Child, I thought it was something that people should be aware of. I asked Laura Johnson to interview Stephanie Seymore, Community Relations Coordinator for Operation Christmas Child for New Bern Now’s community segments on Radio Free ENC’s WNOS 105.9FM and 1450AM. Listen to the interview here:
Stephanie and her family have been volunteering for this special cause for a long time. By doing so, she’s teaching her children about community service and making a difference around the World!
We met Stephanie at her sister, Hope Bucher’s new business, A Hopeful Balance at 244 ½ Middle St.
Operation Christmas Child is a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse, one of Franklin Graham’s organizations. It’s the world’s largest Christmas project of its kind.
In the last 20 years, 100 million shoebox gifts have been distributed to children in more than 100 countries. Many of these children have never received a gift or had anything new of their own.
Anyone can participate! You just pack an empty shoebox or small plastic container full of simple items like toys, school supplies, and hygiene items.
Determine whether or not your gift is for a boy or girl and pick an age category: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14.
Shop for your shoebox goodies! Gift suggestions:
*Toys! Include items that children will immediately embrace such as dolls, stuffed animals, toy trucks, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, balls etc.
*School supplies!!! Pens, markers, pencils and sharpeners, crayons, scissors, notebooks, coloring books etc. Many children can’t go to school without their own supplies.
*Hygiene items!!! Toothbrush and paste, mild bar soap (in a plastic bag), comb, washcloth etc.
*Other!!! Tee shirts, socks, ball caps, hair accessories, toy jewelry, water bottles etc.
*Candy!!! Hard candy, candy canes, gum etc.
No chocolate or candy that melts.
Don’t include: Used items, war related items such as toy guns, knives or military figures, chocolate or food, liquids or lotions, breakable items.
Always include a letter to your child and if possible a picture of you and your family. Include your address. Many people get letters back.
Include a $7 donation with each box to cover shipping costs. You can pay the $7 online and get a barcode label to track your box to see what country it goes to: www.samaritanspurse.org.
Put a rubber band around your box and deliver it to one of many locations in New Bern. We will be collecting boxes at A Hopeful Balance, Tabernacle Baptist Church, Cowell’s Cleaners, Sound Fitness, Chick-fil-a, Dr. Kimmey Seymore’s office, Family Tire and Auto, The Emerald Golf Shop, Amici Salon, and Lucky Street Tattoo. Shoeboxes need to be dropped off at a collection site by November 20th.
For any more information please contact Stephanie Seymore at 252-636-0953 or check out our Facebook page.
Submitted by: Stephanie Seymore, TBC Operation Christmas Child