Our church is an official drop off location for Operation Christmas Child (OCC). OCC is a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse and it provides Christmas gifts to children around the world. It’s simple. You take an empty shoebox and fill it with special hygiene products, school supplies, toys, and a special “wow” gift. Once filled, you bring it to a drop off location, where it in turn goes to the processing center, before shipped to a designated area around the world in need of Christmas Joy.
It is fun to pack a shoebox. Our church held a packing event this year. We set up long tables with different items that had been donated throughout the year especially for the shoebox ministry, i.e., soap, washcloths, pencils, note pads, color crayons, special “wow” gifts, etc…At our church’s November community meal people had the opportunity to pack a box right in church, without going to the store. Folks of all ages enjoyed this event.
There is a $9 suggested donation requested to ship each shoebox. For our packing event, someone anonymously donated the money to cover costs for shipping the 100 shoeboxes we packed that night.
The woman who spearheads this operation, for our section of southeastern Minnesota, goes to our church. She had the opportunity to go to Cameroon last year, to witness the distribution of some shoeboxes. She told us it was remarkable to watch the children receive a box. Their reactions were priceless. The kids were filled with joy. She gave us a first hand account of what happens at the receiving end, the side we do not see when we donate our time and money, to this ministry.
In addition to the gifts, the children have an opportunity to hear the gospel and attend kid-friendly events, with follow-up programs too.
I’m grateful to have to opportunity to volunteer for this global ministry right here in our small corner of the world.
Operation Christmas Child is such a worthy cause and one in which my church also participates. We also had a church-wide packing event this year. In the past, it’s been just Sunday School kids. I missed this year’s packing; can’t recall why.
Does the woman who attends your church and spearheads the project in southeastern Minnesota travel to other churches to talk about her experiences?
It is a worthy cause and I’m happy to hear your church participates in it.
Yes, my friend does go to other churches to talk about her experiences. If you’re interested let me know.