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Community Corner

Heritage United Methodist Youth invite Braintree Community to support Operation Christmas Chlld

Braintree, Massachusetts  -For the fifth year in a row, the youth of the Heritage United Methodist Church are collecting toys, school supplies and toiletries to pack special shoe boxes in support of Operation Christmas Child.

Their "Packing Party" will follow services on Sunday, November 17, 2013 as they work to reach their goal of packing more than 50 shoe boxes with gifts for needy children in the United States and worldwide.

Caitlyn MacDougall, a junior at Weymouth High School, is leading the effort to collect items, which the youth will pack along with other church and community members on November 17.  "We are very grateful for the support of church members and the community," said MacDougall.  "We have already collected many small toys, crayons, pencils and other school supplies," she said, "but we really need additional contributions of small stuffed animals, socks, mittens, hats, bar soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes to make these shoeboxes complete."

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The goal of the program is to bring Christmas cheer and eternal hope to the young child who will receive it.  Box packers may also include a special note to the receipient, and some boxes will be "tracked" by bar code so that the children may see how far the box travels.

Anyone is welcome to drop off materials for packing or cash donations for shipping on any Monday, Friday or Sunday before or on the 17th of November.  Community members are also welcome to join the church members in packing the boxes, along with a free luncheon on the packing Sunday.

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Operation Christmas Child, a project of international Christian relief and evangelism organization Samaritan's Purse, headed by Franklin Graham, is the world's largest Christmas project of its kind.  It's not too late to pack a shoe box gift.  You can to go www.samaraitanspurse.org/OCC to "Build A Box" online and personalize it with a photo and a letter. 



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