Social 10 September 2013

Ruth Meranda hopes to wrap 500 shoeboxes by Sept. 15 for Operation Christmas Child

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By Faith Caldwell
SAMARITAN'S PURSE
Operation Christmas Child

For most people, Christmas is not something that is thought about until later in the year. But for 91-year-old Ruth Meranda of the First United Methodist Church in Hillsboro, Christmas is always on the forefront of her mind.

With arthritis in her hands and wheelchair bound, Ruth spends her time at home wrapping shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child.

Ruth’s goal is to wrap 500 shoeboxes by Sept. 15, which is First United Methodist Church’s “kick-off” day for Operation Christmas Child. On this day, boxes will be available for participants and promotional materials will be put on display!

Ruth’s daughter, Pat, drops the unwrapped shoeboxes to Ruth’s home and then delivers the wrapped shoeboxes to the church, for the congregation of First United Methodist Church to fill.

These gift-filled shoeboxes are then sent out to needy children around the world.

What makes each box unique is that Ruth stops to pray for the child that will receive that specific box. The congregation of First United Methodist Church is looking forward to filling these boxes come Sept. 15, and thanking Ruth for all of the time and hard work she has put into each box.

Operation Christmas Child, the largest Christmas project of its kind, sends gift-filled shoeboxes to children who are suffering from natural disaster, disease, war, famine, and poverty. Since 1993, the project has sent more than 100 million shoeboxes to children in more than 100 countries. These shoeboxes are a reminder to children everywhere that they are loved and not forgotten. Operation Christmas Child hopes to collect 7.2 million shoeboxes within the United States and 9.8 worldwide.

For more information about Operation Christmas Child, visit http://www.samaritanspurse.org or contact Ed Hiestand at 937-509-3685.

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