Several LWU coaches and athletes took time out of their schedule Wednesday morning to help load OCC shoeboxes and Sarmatian’s Purse cartons on to the pup trailers at the First Church of the Nazarene in Columbia, Kentucky. Teams represented included baseball, golf, bowling and flag football. Also pictured are members of the Metcalfe County Shoebox Mission along with central drop off coordinator Denise Fudge. Metcalfe County collected a record 1822 shoebox gifts. In addition to these boxes, the LWU team loaded 525 shoebox gifts from Cane Valley Baptist Church and an additional 1231 shoebox gifts from Columbia Baptist Church for a total of 3578 this morning.
Pastor Clay Scott and members of his flock stand in front of the cartons that contain the 525 shoebox gifts that were packed by the Cane Valley Baptist Church. Cane Valley Baptist Church has been packing shoebox gifts for many, many years. Most years members of the church travel to one of the processing centers in Atlanta, Georgia, Boone, North Carolina, or Charlotte, North Carolina and help process the shoebox gifts.
Several of the adult leaders at the Cane Valley Baptist Church along with many of the church, you put the finishing touches on the 525 shoebox gifts that were packed by the Cane Valley Baptist Church this year.
The Calvary Temple Church packed these beautiful shoebox gifts. Making the drop off of the shoebox gifts were Valarie South and Trina South.
The Beulah Chapel Brethren in Christ Church made their annual drop off of OCC shoebox gifts on Wednesday evening. Pictured are Trystal Lawson, Ernestine Bennett, Phyllis Wright, Jack Collins and Kim Goodin.
Linda Jennings and Ashley Reeder dropped by the Wheet Fellowship Hall at the Columbia First Church of the Nazarene on Wednesday night and dropped off shoebox gifts from the Sparksville Nazarene Church.
These ladies from Cane Valley Baptist Church volunteered at the Wheet Fellowship Hall Wednesday evening. They were busy, making sure that each of the boxes had labels and rubber bands before going into cartons. They are Brenda Arbuckle, Susan Smith, Connie Young, Bonnie Lawhorn, and Christine Williams.
Mike Smith and Mark Young both members of the Cane Valley Baptist Church did much of the heavy lifting Wednesday night when it came to stacking the cartons field with shoebox gifts. The crew from Cane Valley Baptist Church volunteers at the Wheet Fellowship Hall every year.
Making the final drop off on Wednesday evening was the Milltown Church. Everyone gets involved from the smallest to the biggest and the youngest to the oldest.
Cathy McCawley dropped off boxes Wednesday evening from the Bloomington Chapel, Ladies Missionary group.
The number of boxes exploded this year at the Trinity Church. Pictured here are Jacqueline Watson and Kiara Collins with a few of the boxes packed at Trinity this year.
The children and youth from the Creekbend Community Church delivered shoebox gifts to the Wheet Fellowship Hall on Wednesday evening. Pictured are front row from left: Zavion Logsdon, Colton Irvin, Kailyn Irvin, Naom Spoon, Rhett Wood, Ezra Spoon, and Zekiah Hendricks. Standing from left are Bryson Hadley, Karlie Irvin, Caleb Robertson and Anna Beth Sharp.
Wednesday was a super day for OCC shoebox deliveries. After three days of collection, the total of shoebox gifts turned in for Adair County stands at 2417 shoebox gifts.
The Columbia First Church of the Nazarene is the central drop off location for Adair County and the Green River area.
The First Church of the Nazarene/Wheet Fellowship Hall is located at 1200 Jamestown Street Columbia, Ky. OCC shoebox donations will be accepted on the following days/hours:
• Thursday, November 20, 2025 from 9amCT to 11amCT
• Friday, November 21, 2025 from 9amCT to 11amCT
• Saturday, November 22, 2025 from 9amCT to 11amCT
• Sunday, November 23, 2025 from 1pmCT to 3pmCT
• Monday, November 24, 2025 from 8amCT to 10amCT
(Mark Fudge, Green River Area Coordinator – Operation Christmas Child)