As the holiday season settling in across Door County, when the air turns crisp, the lights start twinkling on Third Avenue, and neighbors swap Christmas cookie recipes. Another tradition is gearing up in Sturgeon Bay, the annual Operation Christmas Child (OCC) shoebox collection at First Baptist Church.
For nearly two decades, volunteers at First Baptist Church of Sturgeon Bay have helped connect Door County generosity with children around the globe. This year’s collection week runs Nov. 17–23, and local families, churches, and organizations are once again stacking the familiar red and green shoeboxes high in preparation for drop-off.
The church, located at 610 N. Fifth Avenue, has collected more than 30,500 shoeboxes since 2004, including a record 3,025 boxes last year, a testament to how wholeheartedly the Door County community embraces giving.
Shoeboxes collected in Door County join millions worldwide as they travel to over 200 countries. Their journeys often include unconventional modes of transportation: canoes slicing through rivers, bicycles bouncing along dirt roads, and even camels carrying boxes across desert sands. Parks and her family enjoy following their boxes each year, recent destinations have included Ecuador, Haiti, Malawi, Kenya, Tanzania, and India.
Pamela Parks, the OCC drop-off coordinator says, packing a shoebox is simple. Choose items for a boy or girl in one of three age groups (2–4, 5–9, or 10–14). Popular items include school supplies, small toys, stuffed animals, clothing, soap, washcloths, and toothbrushes. Parks says, handwritten notes and photos are welcome additions. She reminds packers to avoid liquids, perishable foods, glass, used items, melting items, and anything war related.
A suggested $10 donation per box helps cover shipping costs, and donors who pay online can track where their gift ultimately lands. Printed labels are also available at the drop-off site. Shoeboxes will be accepted Nov. 17–23 at First Baptist Church. Collection hours are 5–7 p.m. Nov. 17–21 and noon–2 p.m. Nov. 22–23.
For more details or to donate online, visit samaritanspurse.org or contact Pamela Parks at 920-559-2428.
