Spreading more than just Christmas cheer, one box at a time
A Montgomery County church is a drop-off location for Operation Christmas Child, but volunteers are packing boxes too during Operation Christmas Child's National Collection Week
UPDATE POSTED TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2021 AT 5:21 P.M.
MT. STERLING, Ky. (WTVQ) – According to Montgomery County Drop-Off Team Leader Kim Chappel, Mt. Sterling First United Methodist Church collected a total of 1,802 boxes.
The Madison, Clark, Montgomery, Bath, Menifee, Powell, and Estill County Operation Christmas Child area accumulated a total of 11,547 boxes over the course of National Collection Week.
ORIGINAL STORY POSTED SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2021 AT 8:15 P.M.
MT. STERLING, Ky. (WTVQ) – A Montgomery County church is busier than Santa’s workshop.
Mt. Sterling First United Methodist Church is not just Montgomery County’s drop-off location for Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child: the church is also packing boxes during Operation Christmas Child’s National Collection Week.
“It’s good because all of the community comes in and we get to see them, and some of them we haven’t seen in years because of all of the COVID issues, so it’s just like a big family reunion,” said Montgomery County Drop-Off Team Leader Kim Chappel.
According to people in the community, the church has been packing boxes for years. Jennifer Pendleton and her 10-year-old daughter Lily have been dropping boxes off at the location every year, with the exception of last year due to COVID-19, for all of Lily’s life.
“This allows us to touch people with the love of God that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to have that opportunity,” said Pendleton.
Volunteers at the church are packing the boxes, which are tailored to different age groups, to the brim with toys, hygiene items, school supplies, and lots of prayer.
“Our boxes are filled to overflowing–there’s no air–we don’t pack air. And then we fill it up to overflowing with prayer. That’s the main thing we can do is fill it up with prayer,” said Chappel.
The boxes that have been packed or dropped off at the church will be taken to Winchester, and then to Boone, North Carolina. From there, the boxes will be shipped off to a child in need around the world.
“You can’t put it into words how blessed you become when you work to do this kind of thing. I just am really touched to be able to be a member of this group,” said volunteer Casey Highley.
The church collected 1,575 boxes last year, and expects to exceed that number this year. When ABC 36’s Annie Brown spoke with volunteers Saturday, the church had collected 1,173 boxes.
The church is packing and receiving boxes until Monday. If you’d like to drop off a box, First United Methodist Church is located at 846 Grassy Lick Road, Mount Sterling, KY 40353.
