The annual Hartford Shoebox Project Packing Event is this Saturday, November 14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Schubert’s Hartford Theater.

Pastor Jeff Schimp leads the local community outreach and shoebox packing efforts in Hartford and told WTKM that this packing event has been held every year for 18 years. 

"It is a community project. It is composed of volunteers from our community who work together. The packed shoeboxes are sent to children worldwide. The packed shoeboxes are put on a semi-trailer and transported to a dropoff point. Then, loaded onto a Samaritan's Purse truck heading to Illinois to a distribution center."     

Once the boxes arrive, they will be transported to over 150 different countries.

Many volunteers have been preparing the gifts that will go into the shoeboxes and many volunteers will pack the shoeboxes.

The Hartford Shoebox Project sends the shoeboxes through Samaritan’s Purse, which is an international Christian relief organization.

The shoeboxes are for children in need.