In one week, local volunteers will begin collecting gift-filled shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child so they may begin their journey and change the lives of children around the world.
These shoeboxes are specially packed by families, churches, students and community groups, which fill them with fun toys, hygiene items and school supplies.
The Samaritan’s Purse project will collect these gifts during National Collection Week, Nov. 13-20, and later hand-deliver them to children in over 100 countries.
For so many, like former Ukrainian orphan Elizabeth Groff, it’s the first gift they have ever received.
For her, it came at age 10 when she was heartbroken and feeling the most hopeless, lost and alone. That’s where Jesus met her.
She felt His love through a simple gift—a bright yellow yoyo—that had been packed inside her Operation Christmas Child shoebox.
“… When I hit rock bottom, God [gave me] my first-ever gift,” shares Groff, and “that yoyo gave me hope I held onto for years.
“I was no longer alone. God was with me; He was my family. I was no longer an orphan, but His daughter.”
“Isn’t it amazing?” expresses Jim Harrelson, Operation Christmas Child vice president, of the impact of a shoebox gift.
“… I believe the Lord is reminding us today that we are to look upon to nations—to observe, to be astonished, to wonder, because He is doing something mighty.”
Samaritan’s Purse 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.
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.
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.
The online drop-off lookup tool can be used to search by city or ZIP code. Signage will also identify each drop-off site.
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.
Drop-off Locations: Nov. 13-20
West Central PA Area (Clearfield and Jefferson Counties)
Curwensville – First Baptist Church of Curwensville
1227 Susquehanna Avenue Ext., Curwensville, PA 16833-6746
Mon., Nov. 13: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Tue., Nov. 14: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 15: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Thur., Nov. 16: 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 17: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 18: 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Sun., Nov. 19: 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Mon., Nov. 20: 8 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Wesst Decatur – Lighthouse Evangelical Church
7993 Drane Hwy., West Decatur, PA 16878-8033
Mon., Nov. 13: 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Tue., Nov. 14: 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 15: 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Thur., Nov. 16: 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 17: 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 18: 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 19: 12 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Mon., Nov. 20: 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
DuBois – Temple Baptist Church
590 Lincoln Dr., DuBois, PA 15801-3468
Mon., Nov. 13: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Tue., Nov. 14: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 15: 3 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Thur., Nov. 16: 12 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 17: 5 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 18: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 19: 2 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Mon., Nov. 20: 6 a.m. – 8 a.m.
Brookville – Roseville Independent Chapel
3598 Route 322, Brookville, PA 15825-3760
Mon., Nov. 13: 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Tue., Nov. 14: 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Tue., Nov. 14: 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 15: 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Thur., Nov. 16: 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Thus., Nov. 16: 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 17: 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 18: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 19: 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Mon., Nov. 20: 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Punxsutawney – Punxsutawney Alliance Church
1307 S. Main Street Ext., Punxsutawney, PA 15767
Mon., Nov. 13: 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Tue., Nov. 14: 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Wed., Nov. 15: 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Thur., Nov. 16: 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 17: 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 18: 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Sun., Nov. 19: 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Mon., Nov. 20: 8 a.m. – 10 a.m.