"Life-Size Shoe Boxes" in NYC Encouraging Americans to Join Efforts to Pack Christmas Gifts for 8.5 Million Children

BOONE, N.C., Nov. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, volunteers traveling from as far as Washington state are gathered in New York City asking Americans to pack shoe box gifts for needy children around the world. Each volunteer is dressed as a life-size shoe box gift and represents one of 100 countries where children will receive gift-filled shoe boxes this year through Operation Christmas Child.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111110/CL04199)

Beneath the shoe box costumes are volunteers whose lives have been directly impacted by Operation Christmas Child, including a shoe box gift recipient from a Russian orphanage.

"I'm in New York today to tell others about the profound impact this small gift can have on a child's life," said Oksana Nelson, now 21 years old and living in the U.S., who now packs her own shoe box gifts. "This project changed my life. I want to encourage others to get involved."  

Throughout the day, life-size shoe boxes can be sighted at popular New York City landmarks, including Chinatown, the Fashion District, Fifth Avenue, the Flatiron District, Grand Central Station, Herald Square, Little Italy, Rockefeller Center, SoHo and Times Square.  

Activities will culminate with a mega-shoe box packing party at Madison Square Garden where volunteers plan, in just three hours, to pack 5,000 shoe box gifts – enough to stack twice the height of the Empire State Building.  

Operation Christmas Child's 2011 goal is to collect enough shoe box gifts for 8.5 million children, but that can't be done without the efforts of U.S. volunteers. Anyone can participate in Operation Christmas Child. Simply take an empty shoe box, fill it with toys, school supplies and other gifts for a boy or girl age two to 14, and drop it off next week – Nov. 14-21 – at one of more than 3,200 collection points in all 50 states. To find out more, visit SamaritansPurse.org/OCC.

The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God's love in a tangible way to needy children around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has delivered over 86 million shoe box gifts.

SOURCE Operation Christmas Child