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Operation Christmas Child Recipient to Share Story
Keren Banegas, a recipient of an Operation Christmas Child (OCC) shoebox will be in St. Louis to share how this simple gift made a profound impact on her life. She will be speaking at the St. Louis OCC Countdown Event on Saturday, Sept. 27 at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Des Peres.
OCC is a year-round project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization. Participants fill shoeboxes with school supplies, toys, necessity items and letters of encouragement for kids overseas. For many children this may be their first gift.
Banegas was a child living in Honduras when the country was recovering from a catastrophic hurricane. That year she received an OCC shoebox gift and could not believe that a stranger would put so much effort, time and love into the box. One of the most important gifts to her was a letter from the little girl who sent the box.
Later, Banegas became a translator for several mission organizations. She recently graduated from the College of the Ozarks and has been speaking to people about the power of a simple shoebox gift.
All are invited to attend the Countdown Event to hear Banegas speak and learn more about the collection of shoeboxes for children in more than 130 countries. If interested, RSVP to Vicki Stamps at vastamps@att.net or 314-838-0462.
For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call Vicki Stamps, area coordinator, at 314-838-0462 or visit www.samaritanspurse.org/occ. National Collection Week for gift-filled shoe boxes is Nov. 17-24. Shoebox gifts are collected all year at the Samaritan’s Purse headquarters in Boone, N.C.
