This is the collection week for Operation Christmas Child - but it's not too late for you to pack a shoebox or even several! What a great way to start off the season of giving by giving a child who has very little, a shoebox filled with gifts just for them and the gospel message in their own language! It's a joy and a blessing! Today, I'm going to share how easy it is to pack a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child!
 |
| Source: http://dressagirlct.blogspot.com |
First, decide if you would like to pack a shoebox for a boy or a girl (I chose a girl because I have three boys and rarely get to buy for girls)! Operation Christmas Child actually breaks it down by age group, making it even easier for you to shop: 2 - 4 years old, 5 - 9 years old, and 10 - 14 years old. The Operation Christmas Child website has great information on how to pack a shoebox, what items you can include, and the printable labels for your shoebox. The link is HERE.
First things first - you need an empty shoebox. I like to use a plastic shoebox. Normally I buy one from the local Dollar Tree, but my local store was sold out (I think a lot of people are packing shoeboxes, which is awesome!). I picked up this one at Walmart for $3.97. A little more, but I didn't want to put off my post because I didn't have a shoebox (of course, you can use a regular empty shoebox if you have one at home. Wrap the box and lid separately with pretty Christmas wrapping paper. Don't wrap the shoebox closed because each box is inspected before shipping overseas. Here's my plastic box and I cut wrapping paper to fit inside the box to make it look like a package. I cut one long strip to go around the inside of the container, one piece for the bottom, and another piece for the top (all on the inside of the container. Once closed, it looks pretty and the child who receives a gift in a container like this can use it to keep their treasures!
I did all of my shopping at two stores - Target and Dollar Tree. Each item I purchased was just $1. Here are the items I purchased from the Dollar Spot at Target.
Hello Kitty bracelet and headband, cozy socks and fun socks with spots and stripes, a bouncy ball and a cupcake coin purse.
Here are the items I purchased at Dollar Tree.
Toothpaste and two toothbrushes, set of combs, jump rope, 100 colorful hair ties, owl notepad, light up yo yo, and a paddle ball set with a blow up ball.
Coloring book, crayons, and oversized snowman pen.
Ladybug washcloth mit, bar of soap, and assorted candy. I placed the wrapped bar of soap in a sealed baggy and tucked it inside the ladybug mit. Operation Christmas Child likes you to put your candy inside a ziplock bag (just in case something would melt in a hot climate, it won't ruin any of the other items inside the box). Also, please NO Chocolate. It just melts too easily and makes a big mess. I enclosed jolly rancher hard candy, Twizzlers, lollypops, and sweet tarts - all in their own wrappers and inside a ziplock bag.
Several of the items I purchased were in packages of multiples - the soap, combs, toothbrushes, hair bands, the yo yo was a pack of two, and of course the candy! If you buy multiples, it makes it less expensive if you are packing multiple shoeboxes. The youth group from our church packs shoeboxes every year and we purchased a lot of things that were in multiples for them to use.
Once your shoebox is packed, take a moment to pray for the child who will receive this gift!
Once your shoebox is packed, take a moment to pray for the child who will receive this gift!
Monday, November 25 is the last day to drop off your shoebox at your local drop off location. Find a local Operation Christmas Child drop off location HERE.
Samaratan's Purse asks for a $7 donation to help cover shipping expenses for your shoebox. You can donate the $7 online and then you can follow your shoebox to it's destination online! This is so much fun! You can make your $7 donation HERE.
If you need more ideas of what kinds of items to pack, my friend, Mary, has a website that has amazing resources for Operation Christmas Child. Mary is a regional coordinator for Operation Christmas Child and she has compiled lists of what to pack for both boys and girls of all age groups. You can find that HERE.
You will find so many amazing ideas for Operation Christmas Child on Mary's website. Here are a few of my favorites:
In closing, here's a story of how Operation Christmas Child made an impact on a young orphan's life. I hope you will take a few minutes to watch Alex's story!
Blessings,