New Christmas Child Relay Center Serves West Islip, Bay Shore

West Islip and Bay Shore residents wanting to help out needy families during the holiday season now have a new resource to tap as an Operation Christmas Child Relay Center has been setup at the Calvary Baptist Church at 1040 Union Boulevard.

The church is serving as a collection location for the  Samaritan’s Purse’s project Operation Christmas Child Shoe Box Program, and according to site coordinator Christine Petraszewski it will serve as a Relay Center for West Islip, Bay Shore, Babylon, Deer Park, Farmingdale, Amityville, Lindenhurst and any local south shore towns west of Bay Shore.  

National Collection Week for Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes runs from November 18 to November 25. 

Local churches, organizations and individuals can drop off shoes boxes filled with toys, school supplies, hygiene items and notes of encouragement to families in need. 

These boxes will then be sent to needy children all over the world. 

“Operation Christmas Child is a unique opportunity to do something as simple as packaging a shoe box that will have a lasting impact on a child a world away,” Petraszewski said.

“We are excited about the collection season as families, churches, scout troops, schools, civic clubs and businesses are filling their shoe boxes so that over one hundred million children, many of whom have never received a gift before, will receive a message of hope and love.”

Petraszewski said Samaritan’s Purse, a 503c organization, began collecting shoe boxes filled with gifts for hurting children two decades ago and last year hit the milestone of their 100 millionth shoe box given to a needy child.

For brochures, bulletin inserts, DVDs explaining the program, packaging party materials, or for relay center info please call 631-255-5348 or www.cbcbayshore.com.

For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, visit samaritanspurse.org.

Calvary Baptist Drop Off Center Hours of operation during National Collection Week are as follows:

Monday Nov 18                 6:00 pm to 8:00pm

Tuesday Nov 19                6:00 pm to 8:00pm

Wednesday Nov 20          4:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Thursday Nov 21              6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Friday Nov 22                   6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Saturday Nov 23              12 pm to 3 pm/6 pm to 8 pm

Sunday Nov 24                1 pm to 3 pm/6 pm to 8 pm

Monday Nov 25                10:00 am to noon