Christmas is arriving early in North Bend, as Cascade Covenant Church prepares to serve as a collection point for Operation Christmas Child.

Soon, with the help of local volunteers, the site will be brimming with festively wrapped shoe boxes full of gifts.

Through Operation Christmas Child, the world’s largest Christmas project, North Bend residents are helping send shoe box gifts this year to more than 8 million children in 100 countries suffering from natural disaster, war, terrorism, disease, famine and poverty. From North Bend, the shoe box gifts will be sorted and sent using whatever means necessary—sea containers, trucks, trains, airplanes, boats, camels, even dog sleds—to reach suffering children around the world.

Operation Christmas Child uses tracking technology that allows donors to “follow your box” to the destination country where it will be hand-delivered to a child in need. To register shoe box gifts and find out what country they are delivered to, use the EZ Give donation form found at www.samaritanspurse.org.

The collection site is open 4 to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at the church, 13225 436th Ave. S.E., North Bend.

For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call 1-800-353-5949 or visit www.samaritanspurse.org. National Collection Week is Nov. 15-22.