Do you have an empty shoebox in your closet? Are you interested in reaching kids in other countries for Christ? Through the Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child project, you can reach a child using a shoebox.

What is the Operation Christmas Child project, you may ask. It's a project where individuals or groups fill a shoebox with small, unwrapped items for a child. This year's national collection week is November 12-19. In October, the drop-off locations page on the official website with have the locations listed for you to find the one closest to you.

How do you pack a shoebox? First, get your shoebox out. (You don't have to use a shoebox - you can opt for a shoebox-sized plastic container instead.) You can wrap it if you'd like, but it isn't required. (Make sure to wrap the lid separately!) Next, pick whether you want it to be for a boy or a girl. You also pick the age range - 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14. There are labels on OCC's Pack a Shoebox page. Simply download them (they're in PDF format) and print them. When you fill it out, tape it to the top of the box.

Next, you fill your shoebox with items that will "bring delight to a child", OCC says. Like what kind of things? Here's a short list made by OCC to get you started.



A $7 donation per shoebox goes toward shipping. You can write a check and put it in an envelope inside the shoebox. Volunteers help OK the shoebox and take the envelope out. A newer feature of OCC is the option to pay online and 'track' your shoebox to see what country it goes to. If you go with this option (the 'Follow Your Shoebox Online' option), you get a special print-out label with a barcode on it, so you can skip downloading the other label.

The last step after dropping your shoebox off at the drop-off location? Prayer. Send your shoebox with lots of prayer for the child who will receive it.



"The most important thing is that I know Jesus is God and He loves me." ~13 year old girl, Eastern Europe

I adore packing my shoe boxes! Good thinking to post this, Sunspot!

Thank you, Airi. I love packing them, too.

Thanks for posting this, Elly! We used to do this at our Youth Group, and we would take them there, and they'd be collected; so I might look into doing it again this year.

This is a great way to give back. I helped Melody and Amanda wrap boxes at their church earlier this summer. It was fun (and I learned how to wrap better!)

National Collection Week is next week!