This month, several locations in the multi- county South Central Virginia 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.

According to a press release, during the project’s National Collection Week, Nov. 13-20, Farmville 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 South Central Virginia Area Team hopes to contribute more than 15,000 shoebox gifts.

Local collection sites include, Heritage Baptist Church, Farmville and Bethlehem Baptist, Dillwyn, Nov. 13-Nov. 20.