One of the largest and best organized campaigns of its kind is now in full swing. Samaritan Purse’s Operation Christmas Child shoe box program, has ramped up its activity with collections beginning on November 17th and extending through November 24th (U.S. dates, your country may be different).
Operation Christmas Child is a gift giving campaign that seeks to 
deliver presents to eight million children in more than one hundred countries, shoe boxed packed gifts filled with toys, personal and school supplies, and other small goodies that any child will cherish.
For most recipients, the gift is an unexpected pleasure as their families do not have the means to provide what to us is really a simple gift. Along with the boxes, teams of Samaritan Purse volunteers distribute gospel literature to share with the children and their families the greatest gift of all time: Jesus Christ.
Our family has been participating in this program for quite a few years and we always pack four boxes, two for boys, two for girls. We generally start setting stuff aside at back to school time when we pick up school supplies for our children.
Basically, we’ll snap up extra boxes of crayons, pencils, pens, and other small items and set them aside until November. In the interim, my wife and I pick up hard candies, small toys, and other fun stuff for children and set aside an hour or so on the weekend to pack the boxes with our children.
The shoe box campaign has proven to be an excellent way for us to demonstrate to our children how they can effectively help someone in the name of the Lord, allowing them to add notes, pray for the gift recipients, and bring the boxes to a central collection point. The last few years our church has collected shoe boxes, but we’ve also taken them to a YMCA and wouldn’t hesitate dropping them off elsewhere if needed.
For more information on Operation Christmas Child including how to pack your boxes, ministry information, alternate giving ideas, and where to find a local drop off point, please visit the Samaritan Purse website to learn more.
Why not bless a child this year with a shoe box filled with love?
I love the work of OCC. I received some promotional material on it in the mail the very first year it started, and have been involved ever since. I highly recommend it.
Barry Wallaces last blog post..More on FOCA
Excellent, Barry. It seems that many people who participate are amazed at how a simple gesture can have such profound impact in the life of a child. OCC is one of the few ministries we support without reservation annually.
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