Thirteen-year-old Merrittonian Grace Bergmann is at it again.

The enterprising teenager is holding her annual yard and bake sale to fundraise for Operation Christmas Child, a program which distributes hampers to children in need around the world.

Throughout the year, community members contribute their wares to Bergmann to sell at the annual sale.

“I think this may be more than last year,” Bergmann said of the collections, which filled up the basement of her family’s home in 2013.

“It’s a lot. We’ve got some furniture, some clothes and a lot of house decorations and things like that,” she said.

Bergmann said she gets a lot of support from members of her church and the community.

“One lady even pulled me out of the church service and said, ‘Here, I have some bags for your garage sale,’” she said.

It’s Bergmann’s third year in a row holding the fundraiser, which raised $777 last year — which bought enough goods to fill 48 shoeboxes.

The goal is to increase the funds raised each year, and this year Bergmann’s hoping to raise enough to supply 60 shoeboxes.

The campaign is held each year by Samaritan’s Purse Canada, an evangelical Christian organization that provides emergency relief programs to people affected by war, disease, natural disaster and famine. Though it has a Christian message, the organization is nondenominational in terms of the people it provides support for.

While the gifts in the shoeboxes are undoubtedly appreciated by the kids who receive them, Bergmann said what’s even better is the message they send — that others care, and they can find hope in religion.

“I was thinking about that — why are we just sending kids toys? But really, it’s about sending them a message,” she said, adding recipients get a chance to attend a vacation Bible school as well.

“It’s one of the best things that happens to them. They get this present from someone who loves them and then get to talk about Jesus.”

Bergmann said her plan going forward is to do the fundraiser as long as she can.

The full campaign ramps up in October and the filled boxes are typically collected near the end of November before they’re distributed in to people in South America.

Her yard and bake sale takes place on Saturday, Sept. 20 from 8 a.m. to noon at 2302 Irvine Ave.