Courtesy photo Operation Christmas Child volunteers Barbara Gabriel of Dickenson County and LuAnn Linquist of Delta County with an informational display.

GLADSTONE — For over 20 years, Upper Peninsula residents have been a part of Operation Christmas Child, a global project that shares the true meaning of Christmas with millions of boys and girls around the world. On Tuesday, Aug. 7, volunteers from around the U.P. will gather to kick off the Samaritan’s Purse project’s collection season with a workshop.

The workshop will offer information and inspiration for U.P. volunteers hoping to pack more than 10,000 shoeboxes this season filled with fun toys, school supplies and hygiene items. These gift-filled shoeboxes will contribute to the project’s goal of reaching more than 11 million children in Jesus’ name in this coming year.

This free workshop for both new and experienced Operation Christmas Child volunteers will be held at the Lake Bluff Retirement Community Center at the end of Kenneally Blvd, Gladstone, MI 49837 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The event features a brief Operation Christmas Child informational presentation at 10:30 a.m. by U.P. Area Coordinator Julie Bietila. There will be tables full of craft ideas, displays of age-appropriate and “wow” shoebox items sure to make an impact on the children receiving them. Food and door prizes will add to the fun event.

For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call Julie Bietila at 906-282-3346, email jboxes4jc@yahoo.com, or visit samaritanspurse.org/occ.

Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham. The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world and, together with the local church worldwide, and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 157 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 160 countries and territories.