A recipient of one of the gift-filled shoeboxes sponsored by Operation Christmas Child is visiting Fountain Hills and Scottsdale tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 23.

Mariya Tatarin, from Ukraine, will tell attendees at the Scottsdale Bible Church how the gift had a life-changing effect on her. She received the shoebox gift in 2002.

One of her favorite items was a box of colored pencils, markers and crayons, which fueled her creativity and enthusiasm for art. The gift also strengthened her faith and trust in God because when her family least expected it, the gift came to them filled with items they needed.

Tatarin and her family moved to the United States when she was 12. Three years later, her youth leader brought empty Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes for her youth group to pack. She recognized the box and has been packing shoeboxes since.

Tatarin will kick off the area Operation Christmas Child season when she speaks at Scottsdale Bible Church, 7601 E. Shea Blvd. She encourages residents to attend the talk and to learn more about Operation Christmas Child.

During Operation Christmas Child’s National Collection Week Nov. 15 to 22, residents can bring gift-filled shoeboxes to JOY Christian Community Church’s curbside drop-off location. Hours of operation will be announced in late October.

During this time, residents are encouraged to pack shoeboxes with fun toys, school supplies and hygiene items for boys and girls around the world. For more than 15 years, Fountain Hills families have packed shoebox gifts for Operation Christmas Child.

The area goal is to fill more than 13,000 shoeboxes, contributing to the global goal of reaching 9.7 million children.

Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 188 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 160 countries and territories.

For more information, call 303-745-9179 or visit samaritanpurse.org/occ. Participants can donate $9 per shoebox online through “follow your box” and receive a tracking label to discover its destination.

Participants also may shop online and can select gifts matched to a child’s specific age and gender, then finish packing the virtual shoebox by adding a photo and a personal note of encouragement. Shopping can be done at samaritanspurse.org/buildonline. Boxes built online go to hard-to-reach countries.

Operation Christmas Child seeks to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world, according to the press release.