Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan’s purse, will host a kick-off event at THE LIFE Church, One Old Westbury Rd, at Jericho Tpke., Old Westbury, on Saturday, October 3, at 11 a.m. Featured speaker is Livia Satterfield, a young woman who received a shoe box filled with gifts provided by the Operation Christmas Child Ministry when she was a child in Romania.

For 12 years of her life, Livia Satterfield lived in a Romanian orphanage. She vividly remembers the change that came to her life at nine years old through a simple shoe box. Livia recalls feeling shocked that people across the ocean would care enough about her to send her gifts. Livia asked a translator how to say, “I love you,” in English so she could share the phrase with a volunteer and new friend, Connie Satterfield, who had traveled from Georgia to Romania on this mission trip. Five years later, Connie and her husband adopted Livia.

For the past five years, Livia has traveled around the country to speak at events and churches promoting Operation Christmas Child. She is visiting New York and will be the guest speaker at THE LIFE Church event.

This year marks the tenth year that THE LIFE Church has served as a major collection point for shoe boxes collected throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties. To date over 100,000 shoe boxes have been collected at the site and ultimately shipped around the world to touch the hearts of children like Livia. Churches, schools and youth groups throughout the region collect items in shoe boxes to help youngsters worldwide.

Organizations wanting to learn more about Operation Christmas Child are invited to this event.

THE LIFE Church & Preschool is a community of faith, located at 1 Old Westbury Rd. (at Jericho Tpke.), Old Westbury. All are invited to Free Family Dinners every Thursday at 6 p.m., with Communion Service open to all at 7 p.m. For more information, please visit thelifeny.org or phone 516.333.3355.