Operation Christmas Child Helps Millions of Children Worldwide

It All Starts with a Shoe Box

There are simply instructions on Samaritan’s Purse for how to pack a shoe box gift. Most of the annual collection sites are done for this year already and most occur in mid November, but this is a worthy cause for you to keep in mind for next Christmas season. And you can send shoe box gifts all year long to their headquarters in North Carolina. During mid November, however, there are more than 2,000 collection sites worldwide.

Each Christmas shoe box gift you provide to Operation Christmas Child should be geared towards either a girl or boy in the following age categories: 2-4, 5-9, and 10-14. The website also has suggestions for items you can include in your gift boxes. The categories consist of toys, school supplies, hygiene items, and a personal note with your address so your recipient can write back to you.

For Those Who Want To Do More

Operation Christmas Child also has many volunteer opportunities available if that interests you. They have year-round opportunities available in areas such as Community and Media Relations. They also have opportunities that occur only during their National Collection Week.

Operation Christmas Child is part of Samaritan’s Purse which began in 1970 by Bob Pierce. He was an evangelist and journalist with Youth for Christ. He died only eight years after finding Samaritan’s Purse, but his work lives on today through the efforts and concern of others committed to his cause.

If you don’t have the chance to prepare a shoe box gift, you can always donate online. Operation Christmas Child is a worthwhile project that touches the lives of millions of children thanks to the generosity of volunteers worldwide and the contributions from caring individuals.