A Season of Giving: Cedarville University Students Collect Boxes for Operation Christmas Child

Updated on June 23, 2013

Cedarville University students are collecting boxes for Operation Christmas Child (OCC) that will travel to children around the world. Students will help OCC reach its goal of delivering 100 million shoebox gifts since the project began in 1993.

OCC is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an organization founded by Franklin Graham dedicated to providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people. OCC’s goal is to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to needy children around the world and to work with local churches worldwide to share the good news of Jesus Christ.

Marcey Page, administrative assistant to the Samaritan’s Purse OCC branch in Xenia, Ohio, said that Cedarville’s participation has a great impact on the local church communities.

“The passion for children coming to know Jesus Christ and being discipled is amplified by the University’s partnership in this ministry,” Page said.

Last year the Dayton, Ohio, area collected over 32,000 boxes, and this year the goal is to collect 40,000 boxes. Grace Baptist Church, located in Cedarville, is one of the many drop-off centers in the Dayton area where students and community members can bring boxes during national collection week November 12-19, 2012. Shawnee Hills Baptist Church in Jamestown and Apex Community Church with locations in Dayton and Xenia are also drop-off centers for the boxes.

Karisa Linafelter, associate registrar, is working with the University to get students involved. “This is a great way for students to show the love of Christ in a very simple way to children,” Linafelter said.

Students have been actively involved in OCC in past years through raising money, filling shoe boxes and volunteering at the collection centers.

Local businesses in the Dayton area are also assisting OCC in its outreach to children through fundraisers and encouraging community involvement.

On November 3 from 12–3 p.m., Chick-fil-A in Beavercreek will be giving away boxes for community members to pack. On November 10 from 9 a.m.–7 p.m., individuals will receive a free chicken sandwich at the restaurant for bringing a filled box.

Young’s Dairy in Yellow Springs is also contributing to OCC’s efforts by hosting a double dip promotion on November 4 from 1 – 5 p.m. Customers who bring a filled shoe box or an item for a shoe box will receive a second dip of ice cream for free.

To learn more about OCC and how to get involved, visit www.samaritanspurse.org/occ.

Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University attracts 3,400 undergraduate, graduate and online students to more than 100 areas of study. Celebrating 125 years of inspiring greatness, Cedarville is a Christ-centered learning community recognized nationally for rigorous academic programs, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings and leading student satisfaction ratings. Visit the University online at www.cedarville.edu.

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