If you’ve ever wanted to help others or do something different, look no further. The Samaritan’s Purse is a nonprofit organization that has helped those in need for over 40 years. Their motto is based on the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37, and their mission statement is to help “meet the needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God’s love through His Son, Jesus Christ.” This is the type of project to do if you have the heart to help those in need, and help give children around the world find a newfound happiness in their first-ever Christmas present.
I’ve grown up in church, and we do it every year as a mission project. It’s a great way to get the kids of today into giving to others instead of focusing on what we can receive. I’ve always loved the saying “It’s better to give than to receive.” You can go to https://www.samaritanspurse.org/our-ministry/about-us/ and read more about who this organization is and what they strive to do every day. I highly recommend donating or becoming a part of it first-hand by donating items and/or creating some of the shoeboxes yourself.
It’s really simple. One kid gets one box. You pick if you want to do a shoebox for a boy or a girl, then you pick their age group (2-4, 5-9, 10-14), then you begin filling the shoebox with necessities such as a washcloth and soap, a toothbrush (no toothpaste because nowadays it expires), a notebook with pencils and colors (for learning at school), underwear, socks, and then a few extra things such as hair ties, flashlights with batteries, and toys. There are things that aren’t allowed, though. You can’t add toys such as soldiers, liquids or lotions, medicine or vitamins, used or damaged items, or candy/chocolate. Another great article that tells you about the things you can and can’t pack is https://www.laurengreutman.com/8-things-not-to-put-in-an-operation-christmas-child-shoebox-and-lots-more-you-should/.
My favorite thing that my church does is that we add a picture of our church, the kids of our church, or of ourselves along with a hand-written letter so the receivers can feel closer to the person or people who have given them this present. It not only helps the kids who receive the presents but helps the kids and adults who take the time to write to them and know that a child will receive this small box of things and remember it for the rest of their lives and forever be changed by it. I’ve seen so many videos and heard so many stories about this organization that I see things a little differently; I appreciate things a little more. We are such a blessed society to grow up in a country where (for the most part) we all grow up with a decent life, a roof over our head, food in our stomach, and a bed to sleep in. In other countries, people struggle with starvation, malnutrition, proper clothes, no housing, and above all most don’t know what or who to believe in. Our country has the freedom to believe and learn endlessly about the things we desire. Other countries don’t have such privileges. They don’t have a library, or a phone to look things up, and sometimes don’t even have a church nearby.
Think about your favorite Christmas gift you received as a child (or as an adult) and double that happiness; that’s what these kids are filled with when they receive a shoebox. They’ve never gotten birthday or Christmas presents before and might not even know about our culture in the fact that we give presents yearly for birthdays and Christmas. Most of these areas are poor and aren’t able to afford gifts or even be around a market that has necessities or gifts. We are a very blessed society, and I think we should give a little of ourselves to people in other countries and let them know that someone was thinking about them and wanted to give them a small box of happiness.
I wanted to post a picture of some of the kids receiving the shoeboxes, but I don’t have the right to those pictures. I do, however, have a really good family friend who has kids of her own that help our church build shoeboxes each year. I asked her what she thought about it, why it was important to her, and how it made her feel. She agreed to giving me the right to her pictures and telling her own personal and heart-warming story of why she and her family take part in this organization each year.
“Operation Christmas Child for us started over 12 years ago. My husband and I at that time had been through 2 miscarriages. It was a tough time for us. I was looking for a way to honor my babies’ memories and decided to make a boy and girl box in honor of the babies we never got to hold. For me, it was a way to share a little love with children God has given life to. Over the years, I had 6 miscarriages, and each time we added a box. We were finally blessed with our firstborn child in 2010 and as soon as he was big enough to pack a box, he started helping. The first gifts wrapped and given from our family are always our shoeboxes. We line up all the goodies on the table and pack as a family. As the years continued, we had another baby and the traditions have continued. We often take a day to go shopping for these shoebox items and plan a special evening for the packing. We as a family have been blessed beyond measure and when both boys asked can they each do 6 boxes, we were so glad we were able to say yes. Not many know the why to how many boxes we pack because it’s personal to us. It isn’t about anyone knowing how many we pack or don’t pack; it’s about sharing love to children we will never hold. It’s about teaching our boys to give to those they most likely never meet. The Shoeboxes are small but packed with love. It is even more fun now because we can put a tracking label on the box and find out what country our boxes traveled to. For us, the Shoebox is a hug and love to a child in honor of those we lost. Our other favorite part is then gathering as a church to pack more with our church family.” – Amy Peters
“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” – 2 Corinthians 9:7
This year National Collection Week is November 16-23, and there is a map/list of dropoff places in the United States on the website. Just remember, you don’t have to wait until Christmas to give to people in need or the people you care about. I titled this article, “The Season of Giving” since it is based around Christmas, but I promise the receivers will appreciate it no matter what time of year it is. If you can’t donate, do NOT feel bad. I understand times are tough but know that prayers are always welcomed and appreciated just as much. Please take the time to look up their website and watch a few of their videos. You won’t regret it.
From my heart to yours, thank you for reading.