Operation Christmas Child is again collecting gift-filled shoe boxes in Douglas County for needy children overseas.

The First United Methodist Church of Douglasville is the local collection site and will gather gifts from donors now until November 23, at noon.

Organizers are asking everyone to fill shoe boxes with school supplies, toys, necessity items, hard candy and a letter of encouragement for children suffering from natural disaster, war, terrorism, disease, famine and poverty in some 130 countries.

Operation Christmas Child (OCC) is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international relief organization headed by Franklin Graham, and is the world’s largest Christmas project, according to Jessica Smith, media relations director for the organization.

“It’s a kids-helping-kids project, to let hurting children know they are loved and cared about at Christmas time,” Smith said.

The project is an inexpensive one in which families, churches, scout troops, community groups and businesses can participate, she said. Smith suggested filling boxes with pencils, note pads, small toys and a ball, items that can be found at a dollar store for less than $20.

“A couple of pencils and a note pad could mean an education for a child in another country,” Smith said, adding that these are items people sometimes take for granted.

Lenore Lantz, OCC relay center coordinator, said the gift-filled shoe boxes offer hope.

“Through this project, anyone can be a part of giving love and hope in a shoe box. Those who help at the Douglasville drop-off location find it fun to watch as gift-filled shoe boxes stack up that have been donated by our generous community.”

Last year, the group collected 2,698 shoe boxes in Douglas County. This year, organizers hope to collect 3,500 here.

The boxes are sorted and sent using whatever means necessary — sea containers, trucks, trains, airplanes, boats, camels, even dog sleds — to reach suffering children around the world, Smith said.

With the help of tracking technology, those who give can follow their box to its destination country where it will be hand-delivered to a child in need, Smith said. Anyone who would like to register shoe box gifts and find out what country they are delivered to can use the EZ donation form at the Web site www.samaritanspurse.org.

The international goal is to collect $8.2 million worth of packages, and the United States goal is $5.2 million, Smith said. The project has collected over $69 million gift-filled boxes since 1993 for children in different countries, she added.