This Christmas, you can share joy and hope with a needy child in a troubled country like Afghanistan, El Salvador, or India, or with one nearby in Rochester. Millions of children worldwide who are affected by war, poverty, disease, and disaster receive aid through Operation Christmas Child, a missions project of Samaritan's Purse, the Christian relief organization (www.samaritanspurse.org). Anyone can participate by bringing a gift-filled shoebox to the Spencerport United Methodist Church, 32 Amity Street, Sundays from 9 a.m. to noon during November and December. Directions for filling a box are simple:

•Find an empty shoebox

•Decide whether the gift will be for a boy or girl and select an age category: 2-4, 5-9, 10-14.
oFill your shoebox with small gifts (toys, school supplies, hygiene items, etc.) Please do not include the following: used items, war-related toys (such as guns or knives), perishable food items, liquids of any kind, medicines of any kind, or breakable items (such as mirrors, china dolls, or snow globes).

•On top of the items in your box, place an envelope with $5.00 or more to help cover shipping and other costs (Checks made out to Samaritan's Purse are recommended). Put a rubber band around your box and lid.

•Bring it to the Spencerport United Methodist Church.

Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has delivered shoeboxes to 13 million children. If those children stood hand in hand, they would make a line almost 9,000 miles long - enough to reach from New York City to Hong Kong!

In addition, two families in the city of Rochester have been "adopted" by the Spencerport United Methodist Church for this Christmas season. Lists of each child's and caregiver's needs, sizes, and dreams are posted in the church, and donated gifts will be delivered the week before the holiday. Sonia Kaser, who organizes this collection, said, "Delivering the donations in the past has been an immeasurable experience. The light that shines in the children's eyes reaches through and touches your soul. Caregivers always tell us in advance to just provide for the children, and when those adults see that they have also been remembered with gifts, the joy of being able to give is worth every effort made."

For questions about participating in either of these giving opportunities, contact the Spencerport United Methodist Church at 352-3114, Sonia Kaser at 225-5481 or Bev Compertore at 594-4458.