OTTAWA — Epworth United Methodist Church, 627 Gentleman Road, will be a drop-off location this year for gift-filled shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child.

Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child, a project of international Christian relief and evangelism organization Samaritan"s Purse, headed by Franklin Graham, has delivered more than 68 million gift-filled shoe boxes to needy children in more than 100 countries.

Vicki Duffy, the coordinator at Epworth Church, hopes to collect 500 shoe boxes. From Ottawa, the shoe box gifts will be taken to a distribution site in Frankfort. They will be sorted and sent to reach children around the world suffering from natural disaster, war, terrorism, disease, famine and poverty.

How toprepare a shoebox:

• Use any shoebox or plastic boxes are available at Epworth United Methodist Church.
• Determine whether the gift will be for a boy or a girl and the child"s age category (2-4; 5-9 or 10-14). Label the box with your selection.
• Fill the box with a variety of gifts (school supplies, toys, hygiene items, socks, hard candy, gum, etc.). A donation of $7 is needed for each shoe box to help cover shipping and other project costs.
• Place a rubber band around each closed shoe box and drop off at Epworth United Methodist Church during National Collection Week, Monday, Nov. 16, through Monday, Nov. 23.

Collection hours

• 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Nov. 16 and 23, Wednesday, Nov. 18, and Friday, Nov. 20.
• 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17, and Thursday, Nov. 19.
• 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 21.
• 8 a.m. to noon Sunday, Nov. 22.

Operation Christmas Child uses tracking technology that allows donors to follow their box to the destination country where it will be hand-delivered to a child in need. To register shoe box gifts and find out what country they are delivered to, use the EZ Give donation form at www.samaritanspurse.org.

To get involved:

• Prepare: Enlist families, churches, Scout troops, community groups and businesses to take part in creating shoe box gifts for needy children worldwide.
• Pack: Fill shoe boxes with school supplies, toys, necessity items, hard candy and a letter of encouragement. Step-by-step packing instructions are available at www.samaritanspurse.org.
• Process: Register to join Operation Christmas Child volunteers at the collection site in Ottawa as part of the effort to prepare millions of shoe box gifts for delivery to underprivileged children on six continents.

For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call 815-434-4416 or visit www.samaritanspurse.org.