Are you looking for something to do this season to give back to your community? Operation Christmas Child is the perfect way to help children have a joyful holiday! Operation Christmas Child helps deliver gifts to children in need, who otherwise may not have any Christmas gifts to open, and here’s how to get started.
- Find a Shoebox.
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Find an average-sized, empty shoebox that you have laying around. Then, wrap the box and lid separately so the child can open the box easily.
- Select the Age Range & Gender of the Child.
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Next, you choose which gender you would like to pack a shoebox for and the age range. You can choose from a boy or girl, and then you can choose an age group from 2-4, 5-9 or 10-14 years old.
- Start Shopping!
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It’s time for the fun part, SHOPPING! You should plan to buy one “WOW” item that will fit in the shoe box as the child’s big gift. Then, fill the rest of the shoebox with smaller toys or personal hygiene items. If you need help with ideas of what to include in your shoebox, you can visit https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/what-goes-in-my-shoebox-suggestions/ for a list of suggested gifts.
- Keep the Child in Your Thoughts.
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This step is a personal one. Once you fill the gift box and have it ready to go, just keep the child that is going to receive your gift box in your thoughts. Send them positivity and hope that they will have a great holiday. You can even write them a note if you want to. If you participate in religious practices, this is a great time to pray over the child that you are sending a box to.
- Make a Donation to Receive Your Shipping Label.
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Go to https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/follow-your-box/ to donate your $9 that provides you with a label to put on your box. This cost covers the shipping and processing of your gift box. A cool thing about this label is that it allows you to follow your box and see where it was sent!
- Drop Off Your Box!
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The last step of this process is to take your shoebox to a local Samaritan’s Purse Drop Off location. You can find locations near you at https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/drop-off-locations/ . Congratulations, you have now made a difference in a child’s holiday!
For more information, please visit https://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/.