Operation Christmas Child brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes and the message of God’s unconditional love. It provides an opportunity for people of all ages to be involved in a simple, hands-on project of Samaritan’s Purse that focuses on the true meaning of Christmas – Jesus Christ – God’s greatest gift.
Operation Christmas Child was started in 1990 by Dave Cooke, a Welshman who felt moved to deliver gifts to Romanian orphans after seeing their living circumstances on television. In 1993, Operation Christmas Child grew and was adopted by Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian organization run by Franklin Graham.
To date, Operation Christmas Child has collected and distributed over 86 million shoe box gifts worldwide. Each shoe box gift is filled with hygiene items, school supplies, toys, and candy, is given to children regardless of gender, race, religion, or age. When culturally appropriate, copies of a book entitled The Greatest Gift of All, which has been translated into 130 different languages, are offered to children after the shoe box has already been distributed.
Our goal is to send 60 boxes this year!
Here’s you can get involved:
1. Pack a box yourself.
2. Donate items to put it into a box.
Things you can donate:
- School Supplies – Items such as pencils, pens, pencil crayons, note pads, and picture books
- Toys & Other Gifts – Items such as stuffed animals, small musical instruments, hair clips, toy jewelry, t-shirts, socks, and candy (loose, individually wrapped hard candy in a sealable bag)
- Hygiene Items – Please place soap in a sealable bag
DO NOT INCLUDE:
- Toothpaste (due to customs regulations)
- Food and any chewy, crumbly, or soft candy: Including gum (due to customs regulations)
- Used items (due to customs regulations)
- Playing cards (card games such as UNO are allowed)
- Liquids or items that could leak, melt, freeze, or break – Shampoo, creams, lip balm, bath gels, mirrors, or glass, etc. (these can damage other items in the shoe box).Items that can scare or harm a child –
- War-related toys, knives, and toy guns, etc.
- Using a backpack instead of a shoe box is problematic because it creates unfair circumstances at distribution events. Backpacks can also cause problems when cartons are being packed, and when shipments are going through Customs
You can drop these items off at the church (6950 Highland Drive) or at For Scrap’s Sake in the Mall.
We will be having a packing party on Friday, November 18th from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the church.