Operation Christmas Child Relay Center on the West Islip Bay Shore Border

Western Suffolk County residents are can help others in need this holiday season through the Samaritan’s Purse’s project Operation Christmas Child Shoe Box Program. Calvary Baptist Church, on the West Islip / Bay Shore border, 1040 Union Blvd, is now Operation Christmas Child Shoe Box Gift Program Drop Off Center.

Site coordinator Christine Petraszewski, said this will be the 2nd year that Calvary will serve as a Relay Center for West Islip, Bay Shore, Babylon(s), Deer Park, Farmingdale, Amityville, Lindenhurst and any local south shore towns west of Bay Shore. Last year we collected over 1,000 Shoe Box Gifts, this year’s goal is 1,400 shoe boxes. Suffolk collected over 15,000 with a goal of 18,000. To find other Drop off centers on Long Island go to http://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/drop-off-locati...

National Collection Week for Operation Christmas Child (OCC) shoe boxes is Nov. 17 – 24. This is the week where local churches, organizations and individuals drop off all the shoes boxes they have filled with toys, school supplies, hygiene items and notes of encouragement. During this period there will be volunteers in Calvary’s fellowship hall located downstairs (exterior staircase to the left of the main entrance) collecting these boxes and preparing them to go out to a local collection center who will send them off to continue their journey to the national collection center.

These boxes will then be sent to needy children all over the world. “Operation Christmas Child is a unique opportunity to do something as simple as packaging a shoe box that will have a lasting impact on a child a world away,” Petraszewski said.

“We are excited about the collection season as families, churches, scout troops, schools, civic clubs and businesses are filling their shoe boxes so that over one hundred million children, many of whom have never received a gift before, will receive a message of hope and love.”

Petraszewski said Samaritan’s Purse, a 503c organization, began collecting shoe boxes filled with gifts for hurting children two decades ago and last year hit the milestone of their 100 Millionth Shoe Box given to a needy child.

For brochures, bulletin inserts, DVDs explaining the program, packaging party materials, or for relay center info please contact Christine at 631-255-5348 cbcshoeboxes@aol.com or www.cbcbayshore.com.

For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, visit samaritanspurse.org.

Calvary Baptist Drop Off Center Hours of operation during National Collection Week Nov. 17-24:

Monday Nov 17th 10:00 am to noon & 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Tuesday Nov 18th 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Wednesday Nov 19th 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Thursday Nov 20st noon to 3:00 pm
Friday Nov 21st 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Saturday Nov 22nd 10:00 am to noon & 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Sunday Nov 23rd 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Monday Nov 24th 10:00 am to noon