Otterbein Retirement Community Celebrates Christmas in July with Operation Christmas Child

Celina, Ohio, July 8, 2025— St. Marys residents are a critical part of Operation Christmas Child, a global project of Samaritan’s Purse that shares the true meaning of Christmas with children in need around the world. On July 17, residents from Otterbien Retirement Community will gather together to celebrate Christmas in July—preparing to pack shoeboxes with fun toys, school supplies and personal care items this fall. These gift-filled shoeboxes will contribute to the project’s global goal of reaching more than 12.6 million children in Jesus’ Name.

On July 17 at 1 p.m. Otterbein St. Marys Retirement Community and the West Central Ohio Team of Operation Christmas Child will host a kickoff event to celebrate Christmas in July.  Residents will begin collecting and making items for their first Operation Christmas Child Packing Party to be held later this fall. 

All residents at Otterbein will be invited to attend and local members of the Operation Christmas Child West Central Ohio Team will provide additional resources to prepare for the fall collection. To highlight the spirit of Christmas in July, Otterbein St. Marys Chaplain Eric McDunnell has organized Christmas festivities including Christmas carols, cookies and plenty of décor! 

During November, the Celina drop-off location will be the first stop on a journey across the world for thousands of gifts packed by local families. Together with the global church, Operation Christmas Child will deliver these gifts to children in need overseas using whatever means necessary—boats, airplanes, trains and even elephants.

To learn more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call 937-374-076, or visit samaritanspurse.org/occ. National Collection Week is Nov. 17– 24. Participants can donate $10 per shoebox gift online through “Follow Your Box” and receive a tracking label to discover its destination. Those who prefer the convenience of online shopping can browse samaritanspurse.org/buildonline to select gifts matched to a child’s specific age and gender, then finish packing the virtual shoebox by adding a photo and personal note of encouragement. Many shoeboxes built online go to hard-to-reach countries.

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 232 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories.