Operation Christmas Child

The year has flown by fast, we’re already only a few months away from Thanksgiving. This time of the year the holidays bring joy and comfort to many of us living in the United States. But it’s not that way for everyone though.

That’s why a teacher of ours, Mrs. Staley, encourages her students to participate in a donation event called Operation Christmas Child.

In her own words:

“Operation Christmas Child is a worldwide organization that packs shoeboxes with gifts for children to be presented during Christmas, and the idea there is, there are children who usually have no access to gifts are reminded that they are worthwhile and that they are loved and cared for, because these kids live in refugee camps, slums, and orphanages are often hospitalized. So these are kids that are in unfortunate circumstances and that’s why a shoebox full of gifts gives them that realization that they are remembered, that they are valuable, and that they are cared for.”

Operation Christmas Child is run by Samaritan’s Purse, a non-profit charity organization. Their goal is to provide a little Christmas cheer to these children who are less fortunate than the rest of us.

If you want to pack a box then you should send the kids things like hard candies, small toys, some paper, and drawing tools. Make sure anything edible like hard candies are inside of ziploc bags. When you hand in your box make sure to have seven dollars too that way the shipping cost can be covered.

Remember that there are some rules to what you can pack. Don’t pack any perishable food like chocolate or fruit, these boxes will be traveling for a long time. Don’t put in anything that wouldn’t be allowed on an airplane, these boxes main form of travel will be through the skies.

It’s best to choose a plastic box to pack your gift in because there is a chance that your box may go to a place that is very humid where it is easy for moisture to seep into things.

The plastic box can also serve as a gift itself. The box can be used as storage for any of the children’s belongings. The family may also reuse the box in a variety of other ways.

If you keep these things in mind then you are ready to pack a box. Remember to get your boxes into Mrs. Staley’s class before November 14th because that’s the last day she’ll be accepting them.

Mrs. Staley’s classes have donated many boxes over the ten years that they have been participating in Operation Christmas Child. Why don’t you help them out a bit?