The calendar might say May, but the workers in the Shoe Box Ministry at Princeton First Baptist Church have Christmas on their minds all year.
You can stop by the church almost every Wednesday from 9:00 am to 11:00 am and find a group working preparing and filling shoe boxes to be sent around the world during the Christmas season.
Ruth Gray serves as the area coordinator for the program and also the chairman for First Baptist. She explained they are busy gathering supplies to be placed in the boxes and are already filling boxes for this year.
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She said they are always looking for sales to purchase items to be used and that allows them to use the funds available to provide more boxes. Last year First Baptist prepared 2,042 boxes and has over 600 already filled toward their goal for this year.
click to download audioGray noted there are some items that are not allowed to be placed in the boxes but there are many items the children enjoy receiving.
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Susan Randolph serves as a central drop-off chairman and church relations representative. Boxes will be dropped off at the Christian Life Center at Princeton First Baptist so they can be shipped in time for Christmas.
click to download audioRandolph added the shoe box drop-off will be in November with the days and times to be announced later.
click to download audioGray added everyone is welcome to stop by and help or if you would like to see what is going on, you don’t have to be First Baptist members. For any questions, you can contact her at 270-836-8028. Samaritan’s Purse Ministry operates the Operation Christmas Child Shoe Box program and there is no minimum number of boxes required to participate.
