BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — The holiday season is upon us and with it comes a unique opportunity to give back. From Nov. 18 through Nov. 25, Operation Christmas Child will hold its National Collection Week, inviting individuals across the country to participate in a tradition of generosity. During this week, participants can pack shoeboxes with gifts for children in need worldwide and drop them off at collection centers, including First Baptist Church in Inez.
This year marks the third for Inez First Baptist Church as Martin County’s drop-off location, led by Mary Lynn Horn, the year-round volunteer coordinator. Her husband, Jimmy Horn, serves year-round as the Big Sandy Area church relations coordinator, supervising coordinators in Floyd, Johnson, Magoffin, Martin and Pike counties.
Together, church coordinators work to engage, equip and mobile Christian churches in sharing the hope of Christ through Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse.
“We partner together to share the love of Christ to children around the world in some of the hardest-to-reach areas,” Jimmy Horn explained. “Simple gifts in a shoebox show the children in a tangible way that God loves them.”
In 2023, two high school groups and 14 churches in Martin County came together to create over 800 shoeboxes.
“The participating churches either made the shoebox gifts or made donations,” Horn said. School groups, including the Martin County ATC FBLA and MCHS JAG, contributed by assembling gift boxes.
“The Martin County Middle School Beta Club is hoping to join this year.”
The coordinators encourage all who are interested to join the cause. They also provide guidance on how to pack a shoebox gift.
Start with a standard-sized cardboard or plastic shoebox and choose a standout item, like a deflated soccer ball with a pump or a plush toy, as the main gift. Add more toys, school supplies, personal care items, and even a note and photo for a personal touch.
Gift ideas include toy cars, jump ropes, yo-yos, musical instruments, light-up toys with extra batteries, toothbrushes, washcloths, combs, hairbrushes, pens, pencils, sharpeners, crayons, markers, notebooks, paper, coloring books, solar calculators, socks, sunglasses, jewelry, watches and flashlights (also with extra batteries).
Some items, however, are prohibited: candy, gum, toothpaste, used or war-related items, medications, vitamins, seeds, food, liquids, breakables, glass containers and aerosols.
To ease processing, participants should label each box for a boy or girl, specifying an age range of 2-4, 5-9 or 10-14 years old.
A suggested $10 donation helps cover shipping costs.
From the drop-off location, each box will go to a processing center to prepare for its international journey.
Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has delivered over 220 million shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories.
Drop-off times at First Baptist Church in Inez, located at 99 West Main Street, are as follows:
- Nov. 18-22: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Nov. 23: 10 a.m. to noon and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Nov. 24: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
- Nov. 25: 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
For further information, contact Jimmy Horn at the church by calling 606-534-4005.
