Organizers of Operational Christmas Child announced 15,312 children will soon experience the joy of Christmas, thanks to the communities of St. Charles, Lincoln, Warren and Montgomery counties.Residents packed empty shoeboxes with small items like toys, school supplies and hygiene items for Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse that sends gifts to children living in difficult situations around the world.For those who missed National Collection Week or prefer online shopping, the Samaritan’s Purse website allows anyone with a computer or mobile device to provide a tangible gift to a child a world away.At samaritanspurse.org/occ, visitors select a child’s age and gender, shop through an online selection of culturally relevant gifts, “build” their shoebox, and finish by uploading a photo and writing a note of encouragement to the child who will receive it. After the shoeboxes are packed and sent by the Operation Christmas Child team, participants can discover where in the world their gifts will be delivered. It is a convenient yet meaningful way to join in a project that will bring hope to children in need.The virtual-packing tool also offers participants the option to challenge friends to participate or the opportunity to share the gift of giving through a shoebox gift card.Operation Christmas Child is an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has delivered gift-filled shoeboxes to more than 124 million children in more than 150 countries and territories. In 2015, Operation Christmas Child hopes to deliver gifts to another 11 million children.Operation Christmas Child