— As families prepare for the upcoming school year, Cassie Todd is encouraging area residents to consider purchasing extra school supplies for children in need around the world. AdvertisementTodd is collecting notebooks, pencils, markers and other school supplies, along with personal care items and small toys, for Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts. For many children, basic school supplies are difficult to obtain and may be considered a luxury. Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse that provides gift-filled shoeboxes to children in need while working with churches around the world. Since 1993, the organization has collected and delivered more than 244 million shoebox gifts to children in more than 175 countries and territories.