In one month, Operation Christmas Child’s National Collection Week will open doors for area residents to spread love, hope and joy to millions of children in the darkest parts of the world.
This Samaritan’s Purse ministry project will collect gift-filled shoeboxes Nov. 13-20, and later hand-deliver them to children in over 100 countries. For many, it will be their first gift.
Shoeboxes are packed for boys and girls in three age groups (2-4, 5-9 and 10-14), and share gifts like clothing, accessories, non-liquid personal hygiene items, school supplies and toys.
The ministry encourages packers to include a “wow” item like a deflated soccer ball with a pump, baby doll, toy truck, musical instruments and stuffed animals.
But it’s so much more than fun toys and daily necessities, according to Edward Graham, Samaritan’s Purse vice president of operations, but the way Operation Christmas Child shares the love of Jesus Christ.
“… We go to the out-of-bound places—the ends of the earth,” he shares, adding that “there’s no greater need and no greater time for us” to go and boldly.
“These gifts open the door for us to share God’s love and the eternal hope of the Gospel with children and their families,” adds Franklin Graham, Samaritan’s Purse president and CEO.
“The world is changing, but the message of the cross doesn’t change—bringing the hope of the Gospel to millions, especially the living hope of Jesus.
“Our mission never changes.”
Shoebox gifts are sometimes transported via elephants in Zimbabwe. (Photo is courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse) 
At a morning outreach event in a village in Cambodia, a girl rejoices at the purse she found inside her shoebox gift. (Photo is courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse) 
A trio of girls in Mongolia rejoice over their shoebox gifts. (Photo is courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse) 
Joy abounds the moment a child receives their certificate and Bible at the completion of The Greatest Journey discipleship course. (Photo is courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse)
The ministry project encourages packers to include personal notes and photographs in their gifts. Samaritan’s Purse also requests a $10 donation to ship each shoebox with ministry materials.
Any packer who uses the ministry’s Follow Your Box tracking label and who makes their shipping donation online can follow their gift to its destination.
In 2022, shoeboxes from western and central Pennsylvania reached children in places like Peru, Paraguay, Ecuador, Ukraine, Malawi, South Africa and the Philippines.
Shoeboxes should not include candy; toothpaste; used or damaged items; war-related items such as toy guns, knives or military figures; seeds; chocolate or food; liquids or lotions; medications or vitamins; breakable items, such as snow globes or glass containers; or aerosol cans.
Globally Operation Christmas Child collected over 10.5 million shoebox gifts in 2022 with over 9.3 million coming from the United States alone.
Since 1993, the ministry—as the world’s largest Christmas project of its kind—has collected and delivered over 209 million shoebox gifts to children in over 170 countries and territories.
In 2023—the 30th year of this ministry project—Samaritan’s Purse hopes to collect enough gift-filled shoeboxes to reach another 11 million children.
Delivered into the hands of children through local churches, every shoebox gift is an opportunity to share about Jesus Christ and God’s love.
And, according to Jim Harrelson, Operation Christmas Child vice president, children are the most open to hear the Good News of Jesus, respond in faith and share with their friends and families.
“We are partnering with God for kingdom impact—one heart, one soul, one child at a time … there is great urgency, and children and their families are coming to Jesus.”
Since 2009, 35.4 million shoebox recipients have participated in the ministry project’s 12-lesson discipleship course, The Greatest Journey.
Over 24.9 million children have graduated from this program with over 17.4 million boys and girls making decisions for Christ. In 2023, Operation Christmas Child is celebrating 50 million children discipled.
During National Collection Week (Nov. 13–20), Samaritan’s Purse will collect the gift-filled shoeboxes at over 4,500 drop-off locations in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
Learn how to pack a shoebox, view gift suggestions, find the nearest drop-off location and Follow Your Box at samaritanspurse.org/occ.
For more information about the ministry or opportunities to serve with Operation Christmas Child locally, contact Shelly Rhoades, volunteer area coordinator for Clearfield and Jefferson counties, via e-mail at shell.rhoades@yahoo.com; Jen Carr, volunteer area coordinator for Blair and Cambria counties, at pennvalleyareaocc@gmail.com and Karla Sunderlin, volunteer regional area coordinator/Mid-Atlantic North, for Indiana County at ksunderlinocc93@outlook.com.
Shoebox gifts are collected in Australia, Austria, Canada, Finland, Germany, New Zealand, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom and the United States.
Nearly 540,000 volunteers worldwide—with more than 220,000 of those in the United States—are involved in collecting, shipping and distributing shoebox gifts.
Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham.
Samaritan’s Purse currently works in over 100 countries to provide aid to victims of war, disease, disaster, poverty and famine.
