The deadline is fast approaching to get a shoe box of gifts in to Operation Christmas Child for distribution this year.

The deadline for Weyburn's collection depot is Monday, Nov. 20, at the Weyburn Free Methodist Church located at the corner of 14th Street and Coteau Avenue.

The collection centre will be open Thursday and Friday, Nov. 16 and 17, from 9-12 and 1-4, on Saturday, Nov. 18, from 1-4 p.m. and on Monday from 9-12 and 1-4 to accept shoe boxes.

Shoe boxes are packed for needy children in Third World countries according to age and sex, with age categories of two to four years, five to nine years, and 10 to 14 years.

The shoe boxes can include small gift items like toy cars, stuffed animals, balls or dolls, school supplies such as pens, pencils, crayons, colouring books and paper, and hygiene products such as soap, toothbrush and toothpaste, a comb and brush.

The shoe boxes sent from Canada this year will be distributed in Central and South Africa, West Africa and Southeast Asia.

Operation Christmas Child is in its eighth year as a project of Samaritan's Purse.

For more information, call the collection depot at the Free Methodist Church or local co-ordinator Bev Alexander.