Empty shoeboxes have always made good Christmas gift packages. Why not use yours to help a child in need?

The organization Samaritan’s Purse is getting ready for another year of Operation Christmas Child, the mission to provide shoebox gifts to millions of underprivileged children around the world.

An official drop-off site for the project is in Chilton County. The site is The Church at Bethel, located at 10042 Collins Chapel Road in Thorsby.

Anyone can pack a shoebox with gifts for a boy or girl, in one of three age categories: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14. Many local churches are already collecting boxes. These churches will transport the boxes to the official drop-off site over the next two weeks. Or, people may take gifts directly to the site on the listed dates.

The site’s operation hours are:

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Wednesday: 9 a.m. until noon
Saturday: 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Sunday: 2 to 4:30 p.m.

For specific information on the dos and don’ts of packing a shoebox gift, visit www.samaritanspurse.org. To volunteer, call 755-3188.