Every Christmas, we publish a section called “Letters to Santa,” where children write about what they want the Jolly Fat Man to put under their tree.

It’s not uncommon for children to ask for expensive electronics, like laptops, Playstations and smart phones. And we don’t blame them — those do sound like pretty nice gifts.

However, it’s always striking to see when a child asks for a simple toy — a girl who wants just a doll or a boy asking for a toy truck. It’s even more touching to read letters from children who ask for clothes or other necessities.

We have a great need in our area. Groups like the Salvation Army with its Red Kettle and Angel Tree campaigns help to make sure local children have a merry Christmas.

There’s something special about waking up on Christmas morning. That magic is something all children should be awed by, even the poorest among us. We encourage everyone to support efforts to help local children, but there’s always a way to share that magic with children across the globe.

Operation Christmas Child is in full-swing this week. Since Monday, already more than 1,500 shoeboxes had been delivered to the Selma Baptist Association. The boxes contain a few simple toys and toiletry items like toothpaste. The boxes that are assembled locally go all over the world, include Angola, Belize, Camerron, Chad, Congo, Haiti, Peru, the Philippines, Tanzania and Zambia.

Last year, the Selma drive collected a total of 2,644 boxes with the help of 25 area churches. Samaritan’s Purse is hoping to top that number this year.

Anyone wanting to make a shoebox is welcomed to do so. Just call 872-1640 to schedule a drop-off time.