Rock Falls church is Operation Christmas Child drop-off site

ROCK FALLS – As the Thanksgiving season approaches, many families and children are giving thanks for all their blessings and sharing those blessings with children in need by packing shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child.

Shoebox gifts prepared by donors and filled with toys, personal care items and school supplies may be dropped off now during National Collection Week, Nov. 13 –20. More than 4,500 drop-off sites are now open. Harvest Time Bible Church, 1802 Dixon Road, Rock Falls, is one of those sites. Drop-off times are:

• Tuesday, Nov. 14: 4-6 p.m.
• Wednesday, Nov. 15: 10 a.m. to noon.
• Thursday, Nov. 16: 10 a.m. to noon.
• Friday, Nov. 17: 10 a.m. to noon.
• Saturday, Nov. 18: 10 a.m. to noon.
• Sunday, Nov. 19: 1:-3 p.m.
• Monday, Nov. 20: 8-10 a.m.

Operation Christmas Child has been collecting and delivering shoebox gifts to children worldwide for three decades. In 2023, Operation Christmas Child hopes to collect enough shoeboxes to reach another 11 million children. This season, there’s still time for individuals, families and groups to transform empty shoeboxes into fun gifts. The project of Samaritan’s Purse partners with local churches across the globe to deliver these tangible expressions of God’s love to children in need. Find a step-by-step guide on the How to Pack a Shoebox webpage.

Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 209 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories. This year, Operation Christmas Child will celebrate its 30th year of ministry.