Even though Christmas is still more than a month away, one local church is gearing up to collect donated gifts to send to children overseas.

Called Operation Christmas Child, the effort was started in 1993 by Samaritan’s Purse. Every year, the organization sends shoeboxes filled with gifts to children in countries suffering from natural disaster, war, terrorism, disease, famine and poverty.

Local organizer Rosemary Olson said First Baptist Church, 335 W. Clark St., will again be open as a collection site for the area.

Collection hours are the following:

• 1 to 4 p.m. Nov. 16 to 20

• 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 21

• Noon to 2 p.m. Nov. 22

• 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 23

People are asked to include hygiene items, school supplies, stuffed animals, small toys and hard candy inside the boxes. Some small toys include small balls, jump ropes, matchbox cars and baby dolls. Items that should not be included are chocolate, liquids or items relating to war. People are also asked to include $7 for shipping for each box, if possible.

Olson said the goal this year is to collect 1,500 boxes.

Items can be picked out to fit within a certain age category: ages 2 to 4, ages 5 to 9 or ages 10 to 14.

This will be the sixth year for the collection site at the First Baptist building. Over 6,400 boxes have been collected in the last five years at the Clark Street collection, she said.