CARBONDALE - Victory Christian Center of Southern Illinois announces its 11th annual Spirit of Love/Operation 350 Food and Gift Drive. Beginning Dec. 13, more than 16,000 pounds of food and a thousand toys and other gifts will be given away to local families in need.

Spirit of Love/Operation 350 will provide large boxes of food and gifts for 350 families. Around 250 families will be served Dec. 13. An additional 100 food boxes will be given away throughout December and January as the needs of families are made known to the church.

Members of the community are invited to participate in several ways. The budget for this project is $12,000. Individuals and organizations are asked to make tax deductible donations or to contribute toys and other gifts for children and teens. Checks may be made out to VCC, and may be mailed to P.O. Box 460, Carbondale, IL 62903, or dropped off 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday at the church. Toys may be brought to the church through 9 a.m. Dec. 12.

Employers who make their holiday gift exchange a benefit for Spirit of Love/Operation 350 may request fliers from the church. Merchants donating cases of food, packing materials or other supplies are asked to contact the church office to arrange a pick-up time.

More than 1,000 gifts are needed for children, birth through age 17. Suggested items include: games, stuffed animals, blocks, dolls, tea sets, trucks and cars, puzzles, tool sets, art supplies, balls, jewelry, keyboards and other musical toys. For teens, suggestions include: bath products, wallets, purses, journals, diaries and athletic equipment including basketballs and footballs. Those contributing toys that need batteries are asked to include the batteries and to tape them to the box. Candles are also not recommended because of the risk of fire. Gifts should not be wrapped because the participants will choose gifts for their children.

Community members may volunteer to help pack boxes Dec. 12. The assembly line will form at 9 a.m. and is usually finished around noon. Some volunteers are needed to do heavy lifting, but light duty tasks also will be available.

A voucher is required to receive food and gifts. Local social service agencies are distributing Spirit of Love vouchers, and vouchers will be available at the church until they are gone. Anyone who knows of someone who needs a box should ask them to come to the church to obtain a voucher. Voucher holders will pick up their food boxes and gifts at assigned times Dec. 13 at the church.

Victory Christian Center is located at 607 E. College St., across from Carbondale Fire Department and SIRRS. For information, contact Nathan Cherry at 618-351-8018 or 618-525-2025.

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