Two Cherokee County churches will look like Santa's workshop next week as they collect donations for the Operation Christmas Child shoebox drive.

Through the world's largest Christmas project, Cherokee residents can pack shoeboxes filled with gifts for children in more than 100 countries suffering from natural disaster, war, terrorism, disease, famine and poverty.

From Cherokee, the gifts will be sorted and sent using whatever means necessary - sea containers, trucks, trains, airplanes, boats, camels, even dog sleds - to reach suffering children around the world.

"This is a great opportunity to teach kids in America about generosity, compassion and bringing hope to children living in difficult places around the world," said Gina Brown, Operation Christmas Child area coordinator.

"Those who help at the drop-off location find it fun to watch as gift-filled shoe boxes stack up that have been donated by our generous community," she added.

Canton First United Methodist Church at 930 Lower Scott Mill Road, (770)?479-2502 will collect shoeboxes from: noon to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, 4 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 22.

First Baptist Woodstock at 11905 Highway 92, (770) 926-4428 will collect shoeboxes from: 4 to 8 p.m. on Monday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 22, and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 23.

Shoeboxes should be filled with school supplies, toys, necessity items, hard candy and a letter of encouragement. Step-by-step shoe box packing instructions are available at www.samaritanspurse.org.

Last year, local residents contributed 2,292 shoebox gifts to the Operation Christmas Child effort. This year, organizers hope to collect 3,000 gift-filled shoeboxes from families, kids, churches, schools and civic organizations in the area.

Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child, a project of international Christian relief and evangelism organization Samaritan's Purse, headed by Franklin Graham, has delivered more than 69 million gift-filled shoe boxes to needy children in some 130 countries.

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

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