NILES Kickoff set for project to help kids

NILES -- Samaritan's Purse will have its Christmas kickoff this weekend to raise public awareness for the Operation Christmas Child project, which supplies needy children all over the world with a shoe box filled with toys, school supplies, hygiene items and more.
Samaritan's Purse is a Christian international relief organization based in Boone, N.C. Franklin Graham, son of evangelist the Rev. Billy Graham, is president.
The organization adopted OCC, which was started by a British layman in 1990 in Wales, in 1993 and has collected and distributed more than 24 million shoe boxes for needy children in 118 countries.
OCC will be at the Eastwood Mall's Community Booth from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays through Nov. 2.
Laura York of Warren is site co-coordinator for OCC.
Volunteers will pass out shoe boxes that can be filled and then returned to drop-off centers, which will be open from 4 to 8 p.m. Nov. 13-14 and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 15 and 17-22.
Drop-off locations are:
U Trumbull County Relay Center, c/o Relay Coordinator Davina Holbrook, 5400 Oak Hill Road, Champion, (330) 847-9329 or (330) 503-7683.
UWestminister Presbyterian Church, c/o Relay Coordinator Ruth Brayer, 119 Stadium Drive, Boardman, (330) 758-4513.
Volunteers are needed to help prepare the shoe box gifts. For more information on how to participate or volunteer, contact York at (330) 847-5156 or e-mail her at lyorkocc@aol.com.