Todd and Vickie LeRoy of Russell took a trip for Operation Christmas Child to Asuncion, Paraguay, earlier this year, and got to see the fruits of their labors done in Western New York, where they are area Operation Christmas Child coordinators for Samaritan’s Purse.

The LeRoys helped distribute Operation Christmas Child Christmas Shoebox gifts to children in the capital and surrounding villages and said they were excited to witness the end results of the annual gift collection that they have coordinated in Chautauqua, Allegany and Cattaraugus counties for the last eight years.

“These kids were so appreciative for everything they were given, things we take for granted,” Mrs. LeRoy said. “One girl just kept clutching a pink glitter hairbrush and was so excited because they had only one brush to share in her whole family.”

Operation Christmas Child, a coordinated shoebox gift distribution effort, is done around the world as a tangible expression of God’s love, in places of war, poverty, and disaster. Boxes are filled with toys, school supplies and personal care items to let children know they are loved. And a note and a photo of the family donating the gift personalizes the gift to the child who receives your gift.

Recent hurricane events in Boone, N.C., where Operation Christmas Child is headquartered, have not stopped the current drive for gifts. Shoebox gifts are being collected through Nov. 25 at churches in the three counties. For gift suggestions and drop-off location information visit samaritanspurse.org/occ.

Local drop-off sites include Kidder Memorial Church, 385 S. Main St., Jamestown; Pleasant Community Church, 673 Pleasant Drive, Warren; Clymer Methodist Church, 565 Clymer-Sherman Road, Clymer; Portland Congregational Church, 8649 Church St., Portland; Faith Evangelical Church, 13444 W. Washington St., Ext., Corry; and Lighthouse Christian Fellowship, 12 English St., Westfield.