Some local residents’ efforts to spread good cheer will make Christmas Day special to thousands of young people throughout the world.

Several local churches during the month of November gathered and filled shoe boxes that have been shipped to various parts of the world to help spread the good news of Jesus’ birth to many in foreign countries.

The local residents took part in Operation Christmas Child, which is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, designed to bring Christmas cheer to many during the holidays.

Shoe boxes were collected across the United States through collection centers and processing centers.

Houston Road Baptist Church served as the collection center for this area. Members of a variety of churches — including Bethlehem Baptist Church in Jones County and Freewill Fellowship Church in Waynesboro — came to the collection center to share their gifts with others.

Alice Reid, who coordinated the project for Bethlehem Baptist Church on Highway 84 East, came to the collection center to deliver two car loads of shoe boxes. Reid, who was accompanied by her two grandchildren — seven- year-old Kayla Ensign and five-year-old Silas Ensign — said this was a special year for her church group.

“I just enjoy doing a shoe box. You just go shopping and have the best time, selecting the items,” Reid recalled. “You do hard candy, toothbrushes and a toy.

“It’s amazing how much you can get in a shoe box,” Reid said. “It’s a joy.”

Reid said the church’s Baptist Women’s Group participate in the project each year. She said the church’s goal this year was 60 boxes.

“We had a goal, but we did so much more than anticipated,” Reid said with a smile. “We were just overjoyed when we collected them and we had 129 boxes. That’s double what we expected and what we did last year.”

Linda West, a member of Bethlehem, said she enjoys being able to help others.

“It’s a wonderful project for the children also,” West said. “It’s a blessing for all of us to be able to help.”

Seven-year-old Kayla Ensign agrees, adding that she “just like packing the boxes.”

Beverly and Tom Bullard of Eucutta in Wayne County said they also enjoy doing the project.

“We are helping to meet a need,” Beverly Bullard said. “We feel real fortunate to be able to participate in the project.”

The Bullards, who are members of Freewill Fellowship Church in Waynesboro, delivered 79 shoe boxes to the collection site.

“We collect all year long,” the Bullards proclaimed. “We do a fellowship where we put it all together and have a meal. ... It just makes you feel good to know that we are sending out good blessings.”

Beverly Bullard said this is the second year that Freewill Fellowship — which is a small congregation with about 20 members — has participated in the project.

Chuck and Sherrill May served as the relay center coordinators at Houston Road. The May’s seven-year-old daughter, Mary Beth May, and their son, Jacob May, also assisted with the project. Warren Clark with Houston Road also helped with the church project.

Sherrill May said Houston Road serves has served as a relay center for Jones, Smith and Jasper counties for this project for seven years. From here, the boxes were taken to Immanuel Baptist Church in Hattiesburg. They were then transported to Boone, N.C., where they began their journey that ended with young people in foreign countries. Officials estimate that 8 million needy children in 100 countries are being helped through this project.

Also as a part of the project, the children receiving the shoe boxes are given Bible lessons also.

“There are so many people in the world today in need, and the greatest need is Jesus,” May said. “These shoe boxes can go so many places. There has been lives changed through a simple shoe box.”

Last year, Operation Christmas Child delivered over 7.9 million shoe boxes to children in 109 countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Sudan and Honduras.

Samaritan’s Purse adopted Operation Christmas Child in 1993 and has collected and distributed over 69 million shoe box gifts for needy children in 144 countries. Samaritan’s Purse is an international Christian relief organization that collects gift-filled shoe boxes and delivers them in the name of Jesus Christ to children living in desperate situations around the world.