FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) – Those in Fort Wayne offered a great deal of generosity through Operation Christmas Child this past holiday season.

They joined people around the country in sending 10.5 million Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts in 2024. Adding boxes collected from partnering countries, the ministry has collected 11.9 million shoebox gifts for children worldwide.

Shoebox packers donated fun, personalized gifts for children of all ages, and several said they shopped year-round for deals on items in order to collect more gifts for more children.

While Fort Wayne drop-off locations for shoebox gifts will not be open again until mid-November, shoebox gifts can still be donated on the Samaritan’s Purse website.