The First Christian Church, 1000 Kentucky St., will be collecting donations for underprivileged kids in other countries as part of a nationwide effort organized by Samaritan’s Purse.

The church in Lawrence will accept shoeboxes with an assortment of items — toys, school supplies, hygiene items and notes of encouragement — from Nov. 18-25. Donations will also be accepted at First Baptist Church in Waverly, 512 Pearson Ave.

The donation initiative, called Operation Christmas Child, is arranged by Samaritan’s Purse, an international relief organization based in Boone, N.C. Christmas Child began in 1993 and has donated more than 100 million shoeboxes to more than 100 countries since, according to a statement.

Brooke Taylor, a spokesperson for Samaritan’s Purse, said donors should refrain from including food and war-related toys in their shoeboxes.

A statement from Samaritan’s Purse said it expects the Lawrence collection site to receive 2,200 shoeboxes. It hopes to collect a grand total of 9.8 million boxes from all collection sites in 2013.

Donors can also track the delivery of their shoebox by filling out a form at samaritanspurse.org. More information on how to participate can be found at that website or by calling 800-567-8580.