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Elkdale Baptist Church has become the local drop-off hub for community members in Dallas County for the second time, giving them the opportunity to give back to children in need through the Samaritan’s Purse Project “Operation Christmas Child.”

Operation Christmas Child has been collecting and delivering shoebox gifts such as toys, school supplies and personal care items to children worldwide for more than three decades. In 2024, the organization hopes to collect enough shoeboxes to reach another 12 million children.

In Selma, Elkdale Baptist Church has partnered with a vast community of churches this month from Valley Grande Baptist Church to Westwood Baptist Church including First Baptist Church to push forward the organization’s national goal locally.

“This is the week that everybody is bringing them in,” said Faith Egbert, ministry assistant for Elkdale Baptist Church.

Churches, youth groups and community members have signed up for a time to bring the items in and then we will have a group working and boxing all of the items up, preparing to take them to the Headquarters in Atlanta.

Egbert said each donation box has a tag to let residents know whether the items are going to a boy or girl, and the donor has the choice of the age group that their items can go to.

“Donors can pick a child between the ages of 2 years old to 14 years old to give a shoebox gift to,” said Egbert. “It goes to children in other countries, and we’ve already received over 1,000 boxes this week and we’re not even done.”

Egbert said the last day for residents to take apart in the Samaritan’s Purse Project is Thursday, Nov. 21, and residents have from 12 p.m. to  2 p.m. to drop off their final boxes.

“I just think that this is a wonderful way to share the gospel across the globe because these children may not know Jesus and this is a wonderful way to share his love,” Egbert said.