This month, several locations in the multi-county Boonesboro KY Area Team will serve as drop-off sites for the Samaritan’s Purse project, Operation Christmas Child — joining nearly 5,000 U.S. locations collecting gift-filled shoeboxes for children in need around the world.

During the project’s National Collection Week, Nov. 13-20, Winchester residents will transform empty shoeboxes into gifts of hope filled with school supplies, hygiene items and fun toys.

Operation Christmas Child will deliver these shoebox gifts to children affected by war, disease, disaster, poverty and famine.

This year, the Boonesboro team hopes to contribute more than 10,670 shoebox gifts toward the 2017 global goal of reaching 12 million children.

“We are honored to join the nationwide effort to collect gift-filled shoeboxes for children who may have never experienced the true meaning of Christmas,” said Regional Director Todd Edwards. “Through these simple gifts and a message of hope, children learn that God loves them and has not forgotten them.”

Items will be collected at First Baptist Church, 37 N. Highland St., from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, Nov. 13-17, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 19-20, and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Nov. 20.

The organization hopes to collect enough gifts for 12 million children this year.

About 150,000 volunteers are expected to participate in the U.S.