SNAPSHOTS: Operation Christmas Child in Maplewood

On Nov. 10, First Evangelical Free Church at 2696 Hazelwood St. in Maplewood hosted its fifth annual Operation Christmas Child (OCC) Packing Party. Maplewood police and firefighters joined in the fun to help pack shoe boxes to be sent around the world to needy children. In three hours, 2,304 boxes were packed with such things as school supplies, hygiene items, clothes, toys and a personal letter. Recipients of the boxes are boys and girls ages 2-14, many of whom have never received a gift of their own before. For more information about OCC go to www.samaritanspurse.org/occ to see how lives are changed through this simple gift and how you can join in the fun.