Local Drop-Off Locations for Operation Christmas Child to open Monday, November 16th

PRESS RELEASE (11-10-2026 

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

Macon County, Oct. 19, 2026—Volunteers are preparing to collect Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts during National Collection Week, Nov. 16 – 23. Nearly 5,000 drop-off locations will open across the country in November, and shoebox packers can find their local drop-off locations in Macon and surrounding counties.  This year First Baptist Church of Highlands celebrated 10 years as a Drop-off Center.  Angelica Garcia, the Coordinator for the drop-off center, received recognition earlier this year at a local Operation Christmas Child event.  (see photo)

Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has been collecting and delivering gift-filled shoeboxes to children including many who are suffering from war, poverty, disease and disaster. Operation Christmas Child hopes to reach 12.8 million children in 2026 with the hope of Jesus. Western North Carolina Area Team hopes to collect 25,900 shoeboxes this year across the area of Haywood, Jackson, Graham, Swain, Macon, Clay, and Cherokee counties.

Shoebox packing is fun for individuals, families and groups! Find a step-by-step guide on the How to Pack a Shoebox webpage. The project partners with local churches across the globe to deliver these tangible expressions of God’s love to children in need. Participants can donate $10 per shoebox gift online through “Follow Your Box” and receive a tracking label to discover its destination.

“Shoebox gifts may seem simple, but they have an eternal impact. Each box is an opportunity to tell a boy or girl in need about the true meaning of Christmas,” said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse. “I’ve delivered these boxes around the world, and I never get tired of seeing the joy that they bring—even in the midst of disasters, war, and poverty.”

Participants can find the nearest drop-off location and hours of operation as they make plans to drop off their shoebox gifts. The online lookup tool is searchable by City or ZIP code. Signs at each location will identify the drop-off. Local drop-off locations and hours in the Franklin and Highlands area are listed below:

Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse, seeks 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. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 244 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 175 countries and territories. English and Spanish spoken