God has uniquely gifted His people to further His kingdom, and various volunteer roles are available with Samaritan’s Purse through Operation Christmas Child in the West Central Pennsylvania region.
By serving year-round with Samaritan’s Purse through Operation Christmas Child, you will be a part of proclaiming the Gospel in more than 100 countries around the world. Each shoebox gift can bring “Good News and Great Joy” to a child in need and their family.
Currently, the West Central PA Area is actively seeking volunteers who are interested in serving on its logistics, prayer and administrative support teams, as well as in church, student and community relations in Clearfield, Jefferson and Indiana counties.
Logistics volunteers welcome shoebox contributors at local collection sites. These volunteers serve as the face of the ministry when shoeboxes and or donations are dropped off to begin their journey around the world.
Prayer is critical in all aspects of the work of Samaritan’s Purse, and Operation Christmas Child prayer team members spend time interceding for the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through shoebox gifts.
Administrative support volunteers organize and manage resources and information for regional and area teams. Their work is vital to bringing Great News and Great Joy to children in need.
Church relations volunteers build and cultivate relationships with local Christian churches, work to mobilize and equip them to share the hope of Jesus Christ and help fulfill the Great Commission through Samaritan’s Purse and Operation Christmas Child.
Student relations volunteers serve as an advocate for Operation Christmas Child in schools, universities and student organizations, so that young people become engaged in the ministry and have the opportunity to impact lives worldwide.
Community relations volunteers are ambassadors within their local communities, and they engage and equip groups, businesses and civic organizations to become actively involved with Operation Christmas Child.
Interested individuals must complete and submit an online application, which includes questions about their personal testimony, gifts and abilities and previous volunteer experience.
Individuals should be prepared to provide contact information for one pastoral/spiritual reference and two personal references. Prior to selection, volunteers will be expected to agree to and sign the ministry’s statement of faith and volunteer waiver.
After the completion of the online volunteer application process, individuals will be contacted by West Central PA Area Coordinator Karla Sunderlin to schedule an in-person interview.
Nearly 575,000 volunteers worldwide—with more than 270,000 of those in the United States —are involved in collecting, shipping and distributing shoebox gifts.
For more information or to apply for volunteer opportunities through Operation Christmas Child, please visit: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/volunteer-year-round/.
For more information or questions about the local volunteer opportunities, individuals may also contact Sunderlin via e-mail at ksunderlin@hotmail.com or phone at 814-496-4456.
About Operation Christmas Child
The Samaritan’s Purse project Operation Christmas Child collects shoebox gifts?filled with fun toys, school supplies and hygiene items—and delivers them to children in need around the world to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way. For many of these children, the gift—filled shoebox is the first gift they have ever received.
In 2020, Operation Christmas Child hopes to collect enough shoebox gifts to reach another 11 million children in countries like Peru, the Philippines, Rwanda and Ukraine. More than 10.5 million shoebox gifts were collected worldwide in 2019, with more than 8.9 million collected in the United States.
Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child, the world’s largest Christmas project of its kind, has collected and delivered more than 178 million shoebox gifts to children in more than 160 countries and territories.
Many children who receive shoebox gifts will also enroll in Operation Christmas Child’s 12?lesson discipleship program, The Greatest Journey. This program teaches children about God’s love and guides them through what it means to faithfully follow Jesus Christ.
Since 2009, more than 23 million children who have received a shoebox gift have participated in The Greatest Journey—a 12?lesson discipleship program. Children learn from trained, local volunteers what it means to follow Jesus and share their faith with friends and family.
Although local drop?off locations for gifts are closed until Nov. 16–23, 2020, anyone can still be a part of this life changing project by conveniently packing a shoebox gift online at samaritanspurse.org/buildonline.