Talk about frost on the pumpkin. Two months until Christmas and local churches are already gearing up for this year's Operation Christmas Child.

Churches in Butler and Armstrong counties will be among 5,000 U.S. drop-off locations collecting shoebox gifts for children overseas during Operation Christmas Child's national collection week, Nov. 18-25.

Last year, they collected 13,661 gift-filled shoe boxes at eight collection sites in the two counties.

It's a three-step process. Churches, families and other groups pack for boys and girls ages 2-4, 5-9 and 10-14. Items can include school supplies, bar soap and washcloths. No edibles or toothpaste should be included.

Next, the shoeboxes are taken to a drop-off location. From there they are taken to a central location for delivery to one of eight processing centers in the United States

This year, there are two new collection sites in Butler County.

The first is a central drop-off that will have at least three tractor trailers for collections located at Community Alliance Church, 800 Mercer Road.

Community Alliance's Pastor Joe Floris said, “It took awhile for us to get our brains around it. But Operation Christmas Child is a well-oiled machine and we are excited to be part of it.”

He said the church will have to expand beyond its previous Operation Christmas Child volunteer team of seven to up to 50 volunteers.

“There will be work for everyone to do, bake cookies, load trailers, go and get the boxes out of people's cars,” he said. “We are pretty excited. I think we will learn a lot from it.”

Floris said he thinks Community Alliance Church was chosen as a drop-off site because the church has good access for cars and trailers.

The church is happy to be of service, he said.

“We want to be seen as the place that serves our community,” said Floris.

The other drop-off is at Chicora Alliance Church, 310 E. Slippery Rock St., Chicora. The team leader at the site is Michele Kradel. Although the churches have participated in the project in the past, this is the first time they are collecting community wide.

Kradel said her church has been involved with Operation Christmas Child for at least seven years.

“This is just a good central location for churches in northern Butler County. Churches won't have to take them into Butler.”

Kradel said volunteers will man the drop-off point during the church's listed hours beginning Nov. 18 and take everything collected in Chicora to Floris' church Nov. 25.

Operation Christmas Child will deliver these gifts to children affected by war, disease, disaster, poverty and famine.

Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan's Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham.

The Samaritan's Purse project partners with local churches across the globe to deliver the gifts.

Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 157 million shoeboxes to children in more than 160 countries and territories.

For more information on how to participate, call 410-772-7360 or visit samaritanspurse.org/OCC.

Participants can donate $9 per shoebox gift online through “Follow Your Box” and receive a tracking label to discover its destination.

Those who prefer online shopping can browse samaritanspurse.org/buildonline to select gifts matched to a child's age and gender, then finish packing the virtual shoebox by adding a photo and note of encouragement.

Joan Woitas and her husband John have been Operation Christmas Child area coordinators for Butler and Armstrong counties for the past eight years. She said the goal this year was to gather 9 million shoeboxes in the United States for delivery and another 2 million collected in the rest of the world.

“These demonstrate God's love in a tangible way for a child,” she said.

Nov. 18 through Nov. 25Chicora Alliance Church310 E. Slippery Rock St.ChicoraMon. and Wed. - 1 to 3 p.m.Tues. and Thurs. - 9 a.m. to noon & 6 to 8 p.m.Fri. and Sat. - 9 a.m. to noonSun. - 3 to 5 p.m.Mon. - 10 a.m. to noonCommunity Alliance Church808 Mercer RoadMon., Wed. and Fri. - 5 to 8 p.m.Tues. - 1 to 4 p.m.Thurs. and Sat. - 9 a.m. to noonSun. - 1 to 4 p.m.Mon. - 9 a.m. to noonFriendship Presbyterian Church Community Center886 New Castle Road, Slippery RockMon. - 5 to 8 p.m.Tues. and Thurs. - Sat., 9 to 11 a.m.Wed. and Fri. - 5 to 7 p.m.Sun. - 1 to 3 p.m.Mon. - 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.3 Rivers Free Will Baptist Church20401 Route 19, Cranberry TownshipMon., Tues., Wed. and Fri. - 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.Thurs. - 6 to 8 p.m.Sat. - 10 a.m. to noonSun. - 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.Mon. - 8 to 10 a.m.Woodland Valley Church232 Crowe Ave., MarsMon., Wed. and Fri. - 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.Tues. and Thurs. - 3 to 7 p.m.Sat. - Noon to 2 p.m.Sun. - 1 to 3 p.m.Mon. - 9 to 11 a.m.Zion United Methodist Church438 Bear Creek Road, Sarver,Mon. - 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. & 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.Tues., Wed. and Thurs. - 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.Fri. - 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.Sat. - 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Sun. - 1 to 5 p.m.Mon., 9 to 11 a.m.