Operation Christmas Child Done

[Liz CA]

Filled 2 showboxes for $20.00 - Yeahhh!

If I had any forethought at all I could have crocheted blankets to put in both boxes. Why do I always think of the good stuff when it's too late???;)

[hsmom3tn]

Thank you for this reminder! I started on 2 boxes in September and haven't finished them yet. We've been so busy this month, I forgot. :blush:

[Amber in AUS]

Yes, thanks for the reminder I had forgotten all about getting our boxes together this year, oops!

[1bassoon]

We're soooo excited around here -

 

Someone in our Sunday School class donated money so that families could fill extra shoeboxes. Which means, for the first time, ALL my kids get to make their OWN shoe box, and we'll have $$ left over to cover all the shipping. Such a blessing!

 

Oh, and did y'all see that if you donate online, you can track where your box goes? That is NEAT!

[heatonsmom]

We're just getting started on ours. Your post is inspirational =)

[Chelle in MO]

Filled 2 showboxes for $20.00 - Yeahhh!

If I had any forethought at all I could have crocheted blankets to put in both boxes. Why do I always think of the good stuff when it's too late???;)

We're doing them, too. If I had any ability at all I could crochet blankets to put in!

 

Would you please share what you put in yours?

 

Thanks,

Chelle

[Starr]

We gather the church children at the dollar store. They buy an assortment of things from a toy to a toothbrush. Then we all go to a parishioner's house for cocoa and box packing. The next Sunday the children bring them up to the altar for a blessing before they go on their way.

[Angela in GA]

This is the first time we've been members of a church that participates in this program. We're so excited! I think we can only fill 3 boxes, but I'm grateful for the opportunity to fill any. Please, share what you've filled them with. I need ideas. :-)

[ereks mom]

...from the children who've received our boxes! I LOVE doing the shoeboxes!

[Chelle in MO]

This is the first time we've been members of a church that participates in this program. We're so excited! I think we can only fill 3 boxes, but I'm grateful for the opportunity to fill any. Please, share what you've filled them with. I need ideas. :-)

Wow--I can't believe there is a limit! Maybe it's because they have a limited number of boxes to give people to fill? We just buy the clear plastic shoebox size container and fill it. Then the recipient has a reusable container, too.

 

I've never been able to do ones as inexpensively as Liz, but some items we've included are:

 

toothbrush/paste

washcloth/bar soap

comb

flashlight

handheld electronic game

drawing pad w/pen, crayons, etc.

plastic or stuffed animals

hard candy

ball

socks

cars

yo-yos

extra batteries for the battery-operated items

 

Chelle

[Angela in GA]

Wow--I can't believe there is a limit! Maybe it's because they have a limited number of boxes to give people to fill? We just buy the clear plastic shoebox size container and fill it. Then the recipient has a reusable container, too.

 

I've never been able to do ones as inexpensively as Liz, but some items we've included are:

 

toothbrush/paste

washcloth/bar soap

comb

flashlight

handheld electronic game

drawing pad w/pen, crayons, etc.

plastic or stuffed animals

hard candy

ball

socks

cars

yo-yos

extra batteries for the battery-operated items

 

Chelle

 

On, no, there isn't a limit. OUR limit is 3, 'cause that's all we can afford. Sorry for the confusion. :blush:

[Liz CA]

We're doing them, too. If I had any ability at all I could crochet blankets to put in!

 

Would you please share what you put in yours?

 

Thanks,

Chelle

 

For the girl:

A small purse, comb & hairbrush, other hair accessories, crayons, paper, a toothbrush which came with a small tube of toothpaste, a doll (made out of stiff cardboard or wood with other pieces to fit on it so you can dress it differently.

(I don't have girls and I obviously even have trouble describing girl toys! :))

 

For the boy:

Paper, pencils, sharpeners, markers, cars, a rubic cube, I think there was something else I cannot remember now.

 

Everything was purchased at the Dollar Store, except the cube came from Michael's in the $1.00 sale bin. Our Michael's has a lot of stuff on sale. I should have gone there first but for the girl's box I thought I found a few nice items at the Dollar Store. Everything is packaged in a compact way which helps as well.

 

[Liz CA]

...from the children who've received our boxes! I LOVE doing the shoeboxes!

 

 

It's great, isn't it. I paid online this year so we can see where the boxes end up. I always feel that I cannot do much but filling a shoebox and paying $7.00 is still possible. Thank God.

 

[Liz CA]

On, no, there isn't a limit. OUR limit is 3, 'cause that's all we can afford. Sorry for the confusion. :blush:

 

I always dream of being able to do more boxes. Perhaps some day. Resources are always limited but every single box is a gift to someone.

 

 

[Brilliant]

We live near a processing center and volunteered last year. My dd and I were assigned to inspect boxes. Here are some things I'd suggest based on what we saw:

 

1. Please know that every box is inspected at least twice. Don't put in ANYthing that's prohibited. First, the box is searched for money. Those inspectors are looking for the donation envelope, but also any "extra" money that the donor might have tried to hide. (They don't want any money in the boxes because it can be dangerous for the children to have the money). Then, the box is inspected again for items that are on the prohibited list. We had to remove lots of chocolate, toy guns, and liquid soap (shampoo) items. Please don't put those items in! Most of the shampoo-type items were zipper-baggied, as if the donors thought that would make it OK. It didn't! We had to remove them. At least they weren't being thrown away - they were being sent to local shelters, etc. But they aren't going to the children receiving the box.

 

2. If at all possible - fill your box. Some boxes were filled to the brim, and others only had a couple of items. We weren't allowed to re-distribute anything. So it would be nice if you could add some inexpensive filler items.

 

3. Soap and a washcloth are nice. I suggest Ivory or another mild soap. Every time we got to a box with Irish Spring, we knew it before we opened the box. The scent permeated everything in the box!

 

Thank you so much to all of you who are doing this. It's a wonderful ministry. We prayed for all the children as we were inspecting the boxes. My kids and I had never filled boxes before, but I just picked ours up at church today.

 

We'll be putting in pencils & a sharpener, socks, ivory soap & washcloth, toothbrush & toothpaste, non-choc candy, and some gender-specific toys or other items (hair accessories for the girls, etc.).

 

This year my son is old enough to volunteer at the processing center so we are all going. We heard testimonies about how life-changing it can be for the children who receive the boxes. Did I mention it's a wonderful ministry? :)

[Julie in MO]

a couple of weeks ago my daughters and I were having a snack at the Mall after doing some shopping. A few minutes into our conversation, a young college-aged woman asked me if "those were my kids?" They are, I told her, and we began talking. She struck up the conversation because we looked like such a happy family to her. She was originally from Bosnia and escaped to the states during the war with the help of a church that sponsored them. All the rest of their family had been killed in the war. We talked for quite a while. At some point I mentioned something about Samaritan's Purse shoeboxes and how we enjoy sending them every year at Christmas. She told us that she had been a recipient of a shoebox as a little girl in Bosnia. Although she was little at the time, she said she remembered feeling very loved and very special. She is now a Christian studying political science to "make a difference in the world."

 

What a timely reminder of the value of loving others in this way! Say a prayer over those boxes before you send them off!

Blessings,

Julie in MO

[Chelle in MO]

On, no, there isn't a limit. OUR limit is 3, 'cause that's all we can afford. Sorry for the confusion. :blush:

Oh! I'm so sorry! I completely understand that! We've never done more than two.

 

Chelle

[Chelle in MO]

For the girl:

A small purse, comb & hairbrush, other hair accessories, crayons, paper, a toothbrush which came with a small tube of toothpaste, a doll (made out of stiff cardboard or wood with other pieces to fit on it so you can dress it differently.

(I don't have girls and I obviously even have trouble describing girl toys! :))

 

For the boy:

Paper, pencils, sharpeners, markers, cars, a rubic cube, I think there was something else I cannot remember now.

 

Everything was purchased at the Dollar Store, except the cube came from Michael's in the $1.00 sale bin. Our Michael's has a lot of stuff on sale. I should have gone there first but for the girl's box I thought I found a few nice items at the Dollar Store. Everything is packaged in a compact way which helps as well.

 

Thanks, Liz! I'll check out those two stores!

 

Chelle

[Chelle in MO]

a couple of weeks ago my daughters and I were having a snack at the Mall after doing some shopping. A few minutes into our conversation, a young college-aged woman asked me if "those were my kids?" They are, I told her, and we began talking. She struck up the conversation because we looked like such a happy family to her. She was originally from Bosnia and escaped to the states during the war with the help of a church that sponsored them. All the rest of their family had been killed in the war. We talked for quite a while. At some point I mentioned something about Samaritan's Purse shoeboxes and how we enjoy sending them every year at Christmas. She told us that she had been a recipient of a shoebox as a little girl in Bosnia. Although she was little at the time, she said she remembered feeling very loved and very special. She is now a Christian studying political science to "make a difference in the world."

 

What a timely reminder of the value of loving others in this way! Say a prayer over those boxes before you send them off!

Blessings,

Julie in MO

That is so neat! There's a young woman in this area that was adopted by a local family. From what I hear, she has a wonderful testimony that includes receiving a shoe box from OCC before she was adopted. She spoke at a local church fairly recently, but I wasn't able to attend.

 

Chelle

[Amy loves Bud]

This is the first time we've been members of a church that participates in this program.

 

Just a reminder that you don't have to be a member of a church that participates to do this. The Samaritan's Purse website lists lots of drop off locations where you can take your boxes.

[Dayle in Guatemala]

I miss doing these! We did them every year and it was one of the highlights of our holiday season--that and project Angel Tree.

 

Some of the shoeboxes came here to the kids in the dump or the kids in the area affected by mud slides in the past and the people who distributed them talked about what an amazing blessing they were to those children who got them! So thank you to all of you who do it! You do make a difference!