Christmas is arriving early in Shepherdstown and Williamsport, Md. as area churches prepare to serve as collection points for Operation Christmas Child.

Through Operation Christmas Child, the world’s largest Christmas project, area residents can send shoe box gifts this year to more than 8.5 million children in 100 countries suffering from natural disaster, war, terrorism, disease, famine and poverty. From each collection point, the shoe box gifts will be sorted and sent using whatever means necessary – sea containers, trucks, trains, airplanes, boats, camels, even dog sleds – to reach suffering children around the world.

Sites will collect Nov. 15 through 22. Collection sites include:

Covenant Baptist Church, 7485 Shepherdstown Pike, Shepherdstown; call 304-876-2212 for hours;

Downsville Church of the Brethren, 8228 Dam #4 Road, Williamsport, Md.; call 301-582-4048 for hours.

Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child, a project of international relief and Christian evangelism organization Samaritan’s Purse, headed by Franklin Graham, has delivered more than 77 million gift-filled shoe boxes to needy children in some 130 countries.

For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call 1-800-353-5949 or visit the website at www.samaritanspurse.org.