COEUR d'ALENE - Imagine how one small shoebox full of toys, school supplies, hygiene items and notes of encouragement can make a huge difference in a child's life.

"The people that give are giving from their hearts and the kids that are receiving have never received anything like this before," said Cliff Hall of Spirit Lake.

Hall is the Idaho Panhandle area coordinator of Operation Christmas Child, an international Christmas project that sends colorfully wrapped shoebox gifts to millions of children around the globe.

Now through Monday, volunteers at collection points in Hayden and Coeur d'Alene will be accepting shoeboxes to send to children ages 2-14 in numerous countries that have been affected by war, poverty, disease, natural disasters and famine. Operation Christmas Child is a program of Samaritan's Purse, an organization which promotes the gospel of Jesus Christ.

"A lot of countries don't allow the gospel to come in, like North Korea, but we still send shoeboxes and that's pretty cool," Hall said.

Hall and his wife, Lori, have been involved with Operation Christmas Child for 15 years.

"She's at almost 300 (shoeboxes) this year, just from our house here in Spirit Lake," he said.

He said one of the main things that keeps him involved year after year is how the program introduces many of the children to a life with the Lord. Last year alone, 10 million shoeboxes were distributed.

"502,000 kids accepted the Lord as their savior and went through a 12-week discipleship program last year in 83 countries in the world," Hall said.

The Greatest Journey is a discipleship program implemented through a global church to help children who receive Operation Christmas Child boxes know and follow Jesus Christ.

"I have to do this," Hall said. "I can't turn my back on it."

Hall said more than 6,700 shoeboxes were collected from the Idaho Panhandle alone in 2013, many of them joining a fleet of about 300,000 that were delivered to children in the Philippines where Typhoon Haiyan wreaked havoc last year.

"For the believer, I would say that this is a way to do foreign missions from home. You're reaching a huge audience," Hall said. "Unbelievers like to give, too. Everybody has the heart to give, and this is a way to give to the less fortunate people around the world."

Once the boxes are collected, they are sent to processing centers where volunteers inspect them and prepare them for overseas shipment. Boxes will be sent to children in countries such as Cambodia, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, Sudan, Vietnam, Haiti and more. Hall said many of the boxes are gifts from families that are teaching their young children about the importance of giving.

"I think they feel joy," he said. "All of us, when we give to somebody who doesn't have anything, we feel joy."

He shared a story of a small boy whose parents brought him to a collection center to drop off a shoebox. Hall said the box was almost as big as the little boy, who was asked by a volunteer if he wanted to pray over the box for the child who received it. The little boy set the package on the ground, lay upon it and began to pray.

"Those are the moments that you never forget," Hall said.

To prepare a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child, choose an empty, average-sized cardboard or plastic shoebox. The box and lid should be wrapped separately, but wrapping is not required. Giving parties can choose to send their box to a boy or girl in age category 2-4, 5-9 or 10-14. Gift ideas - toys, school supplies, non-liquid hygiene items and accessories - include dolls, toy cars, yo-yos, toys that light up/make noise (with extra batteries), pens, paper, crayons, coloring books, toothbrushes, bar soap, washcloths, T-shirts, socks, hats, hair clips and watches.

Do not include damaged items, war-related items such as toy guns, knives or military figures, chocolate, food, out-of-date candy, liquids/lotions, medications/vitamins, breakables such as snow globes or glass containers.

Participants can also choose to include a note to the child and a photo of themselves and their families. The child may be able to write back if the giving parties include their names and addresses. Although this program highlights the spirit of Christmas, kids in need will be receiving the gifts all year.

Drop-off locations are Anthem Friends Church, 251 W. Miles Ave. in Hayden; Christ the King Lutheran Church, 1700 W. Pennsylvania Ave. in Coeur d'Alene; and Lake City Church, 6000 N. Ramsey Road in Coeur d'Alene.

For a full list of times, visit www.samaritanspurse.org. For information, call or email Cliff Hall at 755-2940 or [email protected].