Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Operation Christmas Child: Pack A Shoebox

This is National Collection Week for Operation Christmas Child (Nov. 15-22nd), and if you do nothing else good for yourself the entire year, trust me when I say that you should at least do this.

Operation Christmas Child is a way to bring an incredible amount of joy into the life of an underprivileged child, by way of a very small investment in time and effort, and a way to make you (and maybe your own kids) feel good in a way that will last all year.

It's a super simple idea, really. You get a shoebox, and you fill it with stuff that kids like. Small stuff, simple things like Matchbox cars for boys, hair clips for girls, small toys, balls, stickers, crayons, bubble gum. Add in a few things that kids need: a toothbrush, toothpaste, socks, underwear. You'll be surprised by how much you can get into a shoebox, and you'll be surprised how inexpensive it can be, particularly if there's a dollar store in your area. You can wrap the box if you want, but you don't have to. (I buy clear plastic shoeboxes myself, and don't wrap them. After they've been opened, the kids can put the stickers on them and use them to store things. These kids don't have much, so even a plastic box can become a treasure.)

Once you've filled the box, you can go HERE, to Samaritan's Purse and make a donation of $7.00 for shipping and handling. The automated system will give you a label with a tracking number on it which you stick to the box, and help you find the nearest drop-off location in your area by using your zip code. Go ahead, do a quick check to look for drop-off locations in your area, just for grins.

And that's it! You've made some underprivileged child very, very happy, and sown the seeds of kindness. Why wouldn't you want to do it? Watch the video and see how easy it is:

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, may all your wishes come true!

Anonymous said...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, may all your wishes come true!