On November 19, 2016, La Plata Baptist Church held a “packing party” for Operation Christmas Child through the non-profit organization, Samaritan’s Purse. Charles County residents and La Plata Baptist Church members Matt and Mary Goddard sponsored boxes to be shipped and sent to children across the world.
Families filled the La Plata Baptist Church recreation building and packed shoeboxes with simple items like toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, and toys of all kinds for children in war torn and poverty filled countries. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has delivered gift-filled shoeboxes to over 135 million children in more than 150 countries and territories.
Matt, his wife, Danielle, and son, Decker, were grateful for the opportunity to help others in Charles County reach children around the world and the chance to start a family tradition of giving back to those less fortunate during the Christmas season.
Operation Christmas Child’s website explains,
Operation Christmas Child is a project of the international relief organization, Samaritan’s Purse. Our mission is to provide local partners around the world with shoeboxes filled with small toys, hygiene items, and school supplies as a means of reaching out to children in their own communities with the Good News of Jesus Christ. We ship these simple gifts outside the United States to children affected by war, poverty, natural disaster, famine and disease; and to children living on Native American reservations in the U.S.
