Corvallis Nazarene Life Center is preparing to serve as a collection point for Operation Christmas Child this month.

Organizers hope to college 3,000 festively wrapped shoeboxes full of gifts; last year, the Corvallis area gave 2,258 boxes.

Through Operation Christmas Child, local residents will pack gifts for children in more than 100 countries suffering from natural disaster, war, terrorism, disease, famine and poverty. The gifts will be sorted and sent to suffering children around the world.

Operation Christmas Child uses tracking technology that allows donors to "follow" their boxes to the destination country where they will be hand-delivered to a child in need.

To register shoebox gifts and find out to which country they are delivered, use the "EZ Give" donation form at www.samaritanspurse.org.

Local residents are encouraged to fill shoeboxes with school supplies, toys, necessity items, hard candy and letters of encouragement.

The gifts will be collected at the Corvallis Nazarene Life Center, 4900 N.W. Highway 99W, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 16; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 20; 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 21; and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 22.

For more information see www.samaritanspurse.org or call 253-572-1155.