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, mom, grandma. 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.