A program which aims to provide children all over the world with shoeboxes filled with small Christmas gifts begins Monday in Stuart.

Organizer Diane Schafer says the First Congregational Church will be collecting the shoeboxes Monday-Friday from 4-6 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday from 9 a.m.-noon. Schafer says a variety of small donated gifts make a big difference to kids in less fortunate parts of the world. “A lot of these kids are in orphanages or they are just very poor people. We try and pack school supplies, like pens, pencils, crayons, writing pads, coloring books and calculators. We try and put some toys in it, like some small cars or a ball. Toys that don’t use batteries, because these kids won’t have access to batteries. Plus, we like to put in some hygiene products, like toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, combs and a washcloth.”

Schafer will tell us more about the program today on Let’s Talk Guthrie County. It airs during the 9 a.m., noon and 5 p.m. hours on K107.9 and www.raccoonvalleyradio.com.