For 31 years, Samaritans Purse’s Operation Christmas Child has been providing hope for children around the world by providing shoe boxes full of gifts, personal care items, toys, school supplies, games and clothes. This year, from November 17 to 24, The Ridge Community Church will be accepting those packed shoeboxes.
The Ridge, located at 960 Millholland Road just east of Blue Ridge, will accept shoeboxes all eight days. Other drop-off locations nearby include Journey Church in Blairsville and Covenant Community of Ellijay.
Judy Coneby, the church relations coordinator for the North Georgia Mountain Team of Operation Christmas Child, said 12,000 shoeboxes were picked up from The Ridge last year. Another 2,000 were created from donations online through the Samaritans Purse’s website.
“It’s just phenomenal the growth. It’s amazing to see people jump in and get involved. The most impressive thing for me is I see how it is changing and helping people on this side of the box. They are getting involved in something. So many people say, ‘what can I do,’ and this is a very practical and simple way to get involved and help children all around the world. Not only to receive gifts, but to hear about the greatest gift and that is Jesus.”
She said everyone including elderly people can make shoeboxes. Coneby said its great to see children bring in a gift, and say they helped pack the box for a child. “It is teaching the most amazing opportunity we have and that is to give. We’re teaching the young and giving purpose to the elderly and in between, we are enjoying our time together in this project and it builds community.”
Coneby has been coordinator since 2015. She jumped right in when she was asked to lead the team. Her family does this each year. Her mom began creating boxes later in her life with her church ladies ministry. Her grandkids would help her pack the boxes. Her mom packed until she was 83 years old. She packed 83 shoeboxes which represented her age. Coneby’s family gets together in South Dakota every year to pack shoeboxes in her honor.
Operation Christmas Child is a branch of the Boone, North Carolina, based Samaritans Purse. Operation Christmas Child and churches in more than 100 countries distribute gift-filled shoeboxes to boys and girls during outreach events that focus on Jesus Christ. Eleven nations collected 11.9 million shoebox gifts in 2024. There has been 232 million shoebox gifts delivered since 1993.
Samaritans Purse provides aid around the world. Operation Christmas Child is involved in all those different aid programs including distributing shoe boxes to such places as refuge camps. “It brings them hope,” Coneby said. “One box makes a big impact. Every box is a child.”
For more information, people can contact Coneby at 281-989-6501. For drop-off times at the The Ridge, contact the church at 706-258-2330.