I’m always looking for ways to teach my kids gratitude. This week, we are filling empty shoeboxes with toys, toothpaste, stickers, crayons and small gifts to give it to an impoverished child for Christmas!
For several years, we’ve participated in Operation Christmas Child. It’s easy and it teaches a profound lesson during this Thanksgiving season! Follow these simple steps:
HOW TO PACK A SHOE BOX (from Operation Christmas Child)
1. GATHER A SHOEBOX & PRINT THESE INSTRUCTIONS AND LABELS
Use an empty shoe box (standard size, please) or a small plastic container. You can wrap the box (lid separately), but wrapping is not required. Most importantly, pray for the child who will receive your gift.
2. BOY OR GIRL?
Determine whether your gift will be for a boy or a girl, and the child’s age category: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14. Print out the appropriate boy/girl label by downloading the artwork to the right. Mark the correct age category on the label, and tape the label to the top of your box.
3. FILL WITH GIFTS
Fill the box with a variety of gifts that will bring delight to a child. Use the gift ideas provided on the bottom of this page.
4. INCLUDE YOUR DONATION
Please donate $7 or more for each shoe box you prepare to help cover shipping and other project costs. You can give online by using our EZGIVE option, or you can write a check to Samaritan’s Purse (note “OCC” on memo line) and place it in an envelope on top of the gift items inside your box. If you or your family are preparing more than one shoe box, please make one combined donation.
5. DROP OFF
Place a rubber band around each closed shoe box and drop off at the Collection Center nearest you during the collection week.
Operation Christmas Child delivers thousands and thousands of filled shoeboxes at Christmas to underprivileged children all over the world.
It’s a wonderful idea to do with your children. We are filling ours this week!
DROP OFF DEADLINE is NOV. 19, so hurry!
Have you ever participated?
repost from the archives
This is the week to drop them off!! Be sure to find your locations online (http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/Drop_Off_Locations/)
I love Operation Christmas Child. A great way to remember to GIVE this season instead of receive. And spread the love of Jesus!!
Thanks for hosting the link up Kristen!
This week, I’m sharing a guest post I did over at Mommypotamus. I’m happy to say that readers commented that it’s the ‘most comprehensive guide’ they have seen to date. I hope it’s helpful for some of your readers too!
The Oil Cleansing Method: A How-To Guide for Clean, Radiant Skin
http://www.20somethingallergies.com/oil-cleansing-method/
This is our first year participating in OCC. The kids loved it! We made our donations online and got a barcode label so we can track our boxes. It will help us pray better for the children who receive them.
OCC has become a tradition for our family. I think it all really sinks in with my kids when we pray over the boxes for the child who is going to receive each one.
No I have never done it. But we have participated in buying gifts (anonymously) for children in need (from a list) and then we take it to the church, who then gives it to the families participating in the program. We had so much fun picking out gifts as a family. Thanks for hosting this week!
Last year we packed three boxes and we were hooked! This year I shopped the sales all year long to stock up. I invited some friends over tonight – we made hairbows and packed the boxes. I think there will be around 15! I am so thrilled. I love this ministry.
Yes! We participate, and this year we are looking forward to tracking our boxes online. So glad you (once again) featured this wonderful organization.
I love that you are THAT family!!! How fun and you laid it out so nicely for people who wanna pitch in too!
This is a wonderful idea for the season (or anytime, really)! It’s simple enough to do, teaches a great lesson and really gives back. Thank you for sharing it.
I need to put together our box this week. Thanks for the reminder!
Hi, thanks for hosting this awesome blog hop! We too are filling OCC boxes this week. We are filling 3 of them. It’s so rewarding to share the joy of Christmas with impoverished children around the world.
God Bless You all!!
Thanks for hosting! This week I’m wondering if ya’ll love your cookware? If not cast iron cookware may be just the thing.
You can also pay your $7 donation online and receive a special box label that will allow you to track your box! Last year, ours ended up in Mexico.
https://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/followyourbox/
I love Operation Christmas Child! We did a “packing party” at church this past Sunday and packed 75 boxes! The ladies at the drop-off center were super excited when I showed up with my SUV loaded to the hilt!
This is what kicks off the Christmas season for our family.
Thanks for hosting the link-up! I just stumbled onto your blog today and I am loving it!
I’ve been doing OCC since I was a little girl, and now we do it with all of our kids!
we have packed boxes for occ for about 9 years now…. now our church is a relay enter and my wife and i are in charge of collecting boxes from the community… we have been relay coordinators for about 5 years now and enjoy it very much…..we have three children ages 18, 15 and 13 and they also help and they have helped with packing boxes ever since they were little….. wow what a great ministry…it is awesome to see how God works with just a powerful simple gift…