National Collection Week for Operation Christmas Child is November 17-24, so we’re working on putting our boxes together!
We collect items all throughout the year; back-to-school sales are a great time to stock up, and end-of-season clearance sales at places like Target are awesome for assorted things I’d never be able to find if I waited til November. Surprisingly, post-holiday sales yield plenty of things that aren’t strictly related to the holiday. After Valentine’s Day, for instance, I found some cute stuffed animals (like the striped frog below) and girly socks for 90% off!
Pack a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child.
No worries if you haven’t already bought shoebox stuffers; there’s still time to find plenty of goodies and make a child very happy! Samaritan’s Purse has a great video with tips on how to pack a shoebox. They’ve listed some suggested items, and you can also check out my 100 Shoebox Ideas for Girls or Amy’s 100 Shoebox Ideas for Boys.
We’re packing a dozen boxes this time. I’m going to have to make one more store run for a few additional things to properly finish filling the boxes. I like to include some hard candy (like lollipops) and I want to get toothbrushes and such, too.
Next year (I keep saying that every year), I want to have a shoebox packing party. Operation Christmas Child is already such a great way for kids to participate in blessing others, but making it into a party with hot cocoa and friends would be so much fun!
I’d also love to volunteer at a processing center. It’s too late to sign up for that this year, but if you’re interested, check here to find out if there’s a processing center near you and they’ll email you next year when sign-ups open.
–> Will you be packing an Operation Christmas Child shoebox this year?
Wife, mama, homeschooler, dog-wrangler. Introvert who finds joy in good books, sunshine, and authentic conversation. Fitness enthusiast and personal trainer. Often seen with a steaming mug of tea in hand.
We just packed a couple of boxes at a packing party over the weekend.
This is our first year, we are doing three! I can’t wait 🙂
I organised a shoebox packing party a couple of years ago through my college chapel – we didn’t get a huge number of people but still managed to pack half a dozen boxes and it was a lot of fun.