Operation Christmas Child

What is Operation Christmas Child?

Operation Christmas Child, a project sponsored by Samaritan’s Purse, gives gift-filled shoeboxes and gospel booklets to children in desperate situations around the world. Some of the children are refugees of civil war, while others are survivors of a natural disaster or victims of extreme poverty.

Operation Christmas Child is often described as a simple, hand-on mission outreach that aims to teach young people about the power of Jesus Christ. The project has volunteers from the United States as well as Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

Since each box is created by a volunteer, the contents are unique. However, the boxes often contain small toys, stuffed animals, school supplies, personal hygiene items, and hard candies. Children who prepare donations as part of their involvement in a church youth group frequently include personal notes to the recipient as well. Boxes are delivered to boys and girls ages 2-14.

Last year, Operation Christmas Child delivered 7.6 million shoeboxes to needy children in 95 countries. Boxes are generally collected in mid-November for a Christmas delivery.

How Can I Help?

Since people of all ages can help with the Operation Christmas Child project, this volunteer opportunity is a great way to teach children about the importance of helping others. Young children can help their parents shop for items to place in the shoeboxes, while teenagers and adults can either make monetary contributions or volunteer their time to the project.

Prepare a Box

Many local churches across the United States participate in Operation Christmas Child. However, if you don’t attend a church that is participating in the program and would like to donate a box to Operation Christmas Child, you can find a drop-off center near you on the Samaritan’s Purse website. Or, if you can’t make it to a drop off center, you can mail your donation to:

Operation Christmas Child

801 Bamboo Road

P.O. Box 3000

Boone, NC 28607

Make a Monetary Contribution

While donations of shoeboxes filled with gifts are always encouraged, Operation Christmas Child also seeks monetary contributions to help cover the cost of shipping and handling for the boxes. Each box costs approximately $7 to deliver, and many children who donate to the organization are unable to afford this additional expense. Credit or debit card donations to the project can be processed on the Samaritan’s Purse website.

Volunteer Your Time

If you’re looking for a hands-on way to help Operation Christmas Child, consider joining the group’s 90,000 volunteers who work to promote the mission of the project on a year-round basis. Some volunteers help organize the collection of donations, while others inspect and prepare the boxes for shipment. In addition, there are volunteer opportunities in both media relations and community relations.

To learn more about volunteering with Operation Christmas Child, visit the Samaritan’s Purse website.