Medford radio station KDOV has been a collection point for more than 700 packages prepared by local church groups, families and scout troops.

The radio station will accept shoeboxes until 5 p.m. Friday, when they will be shipped to Roseburg. From there they will be sent to Denver, one of seven national processing centers.

"Volunteers repack the boxes in Denver Thanksgiving weekend, determining where they go throughout the world," says Sue Schneider, administrative assistant at KDOV.

Samaritan’s Purse works with missionaries, churches or relief agencies already in place in countries to determine how many children need Christmas boxes in their area. Gifts are sorted to fit the profile of each country and individual village.

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Operation Christmas Child is the world’s largest children’s Christmas project. It is an outreach of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief organization headed by Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham.

Since 1993, more than 24 million children in 118 nations touched by war, terrorism, poverty, famine, disease and natural disaster have received hand-delivered shoebox gifts. Dave Cooke of Britain began the effort in 1990 in Wales. Since then, 6.2 million boxes have been collected internationally and 3.6 million in the United States.

Henderson’s Line up Brake and RV, at 417 SW Marion Lane in Grants Pass, is another collection site in Southern Oregon. Shoeboxes will be collected there through 4 p.m. Saturday.

Boxes should be wrapped in Christmas paper, wrapping the lid separately from the bottom of the box. Fill it will small gifts for a boy or girl and pick an age group (2-4, 5-9, or 10-14). Don’t include war-related toys, breakable items, perishable foods, medications or liquids. Suggested items include: combs, brushes, toothbrushes, school items, coloring books, small cars, hair decorations, sunglasses, T-shirts, hard candy and gum.

Other local toy drives