Operation Christmas Child is a project done by Samaritan’s Purse. Their website states that the mission of Operation Christmas Child is to “demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to needy children around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.” Every year they do a shoebox drive. People are encouraged to pack shoeboxes with gift items and take them to their nearest drop-off location. Here are some tips for effectively packing an OCC shoebox.
1. Decide the gender and age of the child who will receive your shoebox.
You get to decide whether you would like your gifts to be sent to a boy or girl. Also, you can choose the age range of the child. The choices are 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14.
2. Choose your shoebox.
You can use a standard shoebox for your gifts but a better option would be to use a plastic container that is the same size as a shoebox. In many countries the plastic container would be as much of a gift as it’s contents. Our church has a mission in Belize and some of the local residents received OCC shoeboxes. They used the plastic containers to carry water.
If you do use a regular shoebox, you can wrap it with giftwrap. Just make sure to wrap the top and bottom of the box separately.
3. Fill your shoebox with gifts.
Now comes the fun part. OCC recommends that you fill your shoebox with small toys, school supplies, hygeine items, and more. If you send anything that requires batteries you will need to send extra batteries. In the past I have filled shoeboxes with baseballs, pencils, tank tops, toothbrushes, barbie dolls, stickers, hairbrushes, story books, and all manner of small gifts.
Some things to remember when filling your box:
Double bag hard candy.
Do not send any liquids.
War-related items are not allowed, including toy weapons or military action figures.
Do not send breakables.
4. Include a personal letter and picture.
It isn’t required that you include a letter and picture, but I imagine the child receiving your box would love to know more about you. If you include your address they sometimes even write you back. We always include a family picture and a short letter telling a little about ourselves and wishing them a merry Christmas.
5. Seal & label your shoebox.
Place a rubberband around your shoebox to ensure that it stays closed. Place your label on top of the box. Be sure to include $7 to pay for shipping. If you are sending more than one box you can combine the shipping in one envelope.
6. Drop your shoebox off at the nearest location.
Collection week is November 16-23. You can find the collection center nearest you by visiting theOperation Christmas Child website and entering your zipcode or you can call 1-800-353-5949.
Consider giving the joy of Christmas to a needy child. What better way to honor the birth of our Savior?
