Sandy Kleine, the “shopper and storekeeper” and Mariela Victoreen, project leader for the New Life Free Evangelical Church show some of the items to be added to 400 shoeboxes on Sunday, Oct. 28. The boxes are bound for distribution to areas of the world where kids are less fortunate in the annual Christmas time project. Chronicle photos/John Speer

“We hope people will come and enjoy the experience of sending joy to kids around the world,” says Mariela Victoreen, project leader for the annual New Life Free Evangelical Church in Tama. It’s an afternoon filling shoeboxes to be distributed by Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child.

Packing shoeboxes filled with gifts of everything from school supplies and hygiene items to toys, socks and more requires an “assembly line” type of operation according to Sandy Kleine. Kleine says she is “the behind the scenes” shopper and storekeeper for the effort.

The project of filling the planned 400 boxes this year will be on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 28, beginning at 1 p.m. at the church at 211 West 13th St. The boxes are divided into three age groups for boys and girls.

After being filled, the collection is then taken to Marshalltown and added to those assembled there for shipment to a Colorado distribution center. In addition to the cost of the items to fill the boxes the church pays $9 per box to help cover shipping and related expense.

On their journey to an area in need, (The shoeboxes) are known to be carried by airplane, boat, canoe and donkey to the kids,” Victoreen says.

A display shows some of the boxes to be filled on Sunday, Oct. 28 at the New Life Free Evangelical Church in Tama.

Last year over 300 boxes were filled at the church. They found their way to Mexico and a western U.S. Native American Tribe. The shoebox project began about 10 years ago at the Tama church when 60 shoeboxes were filled and has grown in number since.

Useful goods and monetary donations are welcome at the New Life Free Evangelical Church

The shoebox gifts, originated by Franklin Graham 25 years ago has delivered more than 157 million of the shoeboxes to children in more than 160 countries since its inception.

According to Samaritan’s Purse, “the mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.”