This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

700 Shoe Box Gifts Packed By Local Volunteers

On Saturday, Oct. 12th, metro Atlanta volunteers packed over 700 shoe box gifts to support the non-profit Operation Christmas Child.

Locals gathered at the Fickle Pickle, a local dive on Canton Street in Roswell, Ga. The eatery provided fried pickles, drinks and a delectable menu of gourmet sandwiches. Volunteers flooded in, first putting together cardboard shoe boxes and then filling them with hygiene items, toys, candy, clothes and other small items. These shoe box gifts were packed for boys and girls, from ages 1 to 14 years old.

Where will these shoebox gifts go? They'll be sent to needy children all over the world at Christmastime, children who've been affected by poverty, natural disasters, and disease. These children often don't know if there is anyone in the world who loves them, and they live in a hopeless world.

One shoebox gift - filled with balls, toothbrushes, socks, and pencils - can change all that. One shoebox gift can help a child feel loved, and give them hope for a brighter future.

During National Collection Week (Nov. 18-25), anyone can fill a shoe box gift and drop it off at a local center. To find the drop off center in Roswell that is closest to you, go to http://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/drop-off-locations/.

To learn more about Operation Christmas Child, go to www.samaritanspurse.org/occ.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?