CRISFIELD — Operation Christmas Child as the name says is all about making Christmas brighter for children around the world. But did you know you can start now with your back-to-school shopping and also help children in need?

As the new school year approaches, Operation Christmas Child shoebox packers are making use of back-to-school prices to purchase gifts and essential items to include school supplies, hygiene items and fun toys — all packed in shoeboxes. Samaritan’s Purse will deliver these gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 100 countries.

For many children, access to these simple items is critical to an education.

National Collection Week is not until Nov. 15-22 but local residents can now donate $9 per shoebox online through “Follow Your Box” and receive a tracking label to discover its destination. Those who prefer the convenience of online shopping can browse samaritanspurse.org/buildonline to select gifts matched to a child’s specific age and gender, then finish packing the virtual shoebox by adding a photo and personal note of encouragement. Boxes built online go to hard-to-reach countries.

Several churches in Somerset County participate each year with Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan's Purse. Since 1993, it has collected and delivered more than 186 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 160 countries and territories.