The COVID-19 global pandemic has disrupted everyday life for millions of people around the world.
But Samaritan’s Purse – through Operation Christmas Child – continues to share the eternal hope of the Gospel and to serve in Jesus’ Name.
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. 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 world-wide in 2019, with more than 8.9 million collected in the United States.
“In the midst of the pandemic, the needs are greater than ever before,” said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse.
“Children around the world need to know that God loves them and there is hope. A simple shoebox gift opens the door to share about the true hope that can only be found in Jesus Christ.”
So, churches and individuals – nation-wide – are prayerfully modifying ways to pack shoeboxes from past years. Here are a few ideas:
- Prepped and Ready to Pack. Prepare shoebox bundles complete with empty boxes, gifts to pack them full and instructions that can be picked up at designated times. Then, individuals assemble and deliver to the church in time for Collection Week.
- Just Family at Church or Home. Churches can fill their fellowship hall with items that members have collected throughout the year. They can invite individual families to sign up for specific time slots to come and pack shoeboxes. Church volunteers can disinfect each station in between each family. Or individuals may collect items and invite a small group of family and friends to pack at their home.
- Down to Business. Local business owners can invite patrons to drop off gift items or pick up empty boxes to take home to fill on their own.
People can find the nearest drop-off location and hours of operation as they make plans to drop off their shoebox gifts during National Collection Week, which is Nov. 16-23.
The online lookup tool is searchable by City or ZIP code. Signs at each location will identify the curbside drop off.
About Operation Christmas Child
Samaritan’s Purse is an international Christian relief and evangelism organization, that’s headed by Christian evangelist and missionary Franklin Graham, and Operation Christmas Child is the largest Christmas project of its kind.
Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child 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.
Shoebox gifts are collected in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Finland, Spain and New Zealand.
Nearly 575,000 volunteers world-wide — with more than 270,000 of those in the United States — are involved in collecting, shipping and distributing shoebox gifts.
For more information or questions, individuals may contact Karla Sunderlin, West Central PA area coordinator, via e-mail at ksunderlin@hotmail.com or phone at 814-496-4456.