By 96five Wednesday 5 Sep 2018Station NewsReading Time: 2 minutes
So many 96five listeners have been filling shoeboxes faithfully every year, but for some of you all this is new! So, what is Operation Christmas Child and why are we asking you to pack a shoebox?
Operation Christmas Child (OCC) is a project of Samaritan’s Purse. It partners with local churches in developing nations to reach out to children by providing gift-filled shoeboxes and bringing a life-changing message of hope through ‘The Greatest Journey’ program.
These shoeboxes full of goodies will often be the very first present a child in a developing country will receive and communicates such a powerful message of love and hope. The only choices you need to make are what you’re going to put in your shoebox and who you’re going to pack one for! Get the kids on board and why not start shopping now, being sure to include something from each of the six categories:
- Something to wear
- Something to play with
- Something for school
- Something to love
- Something special
- Something for personal hygiene
Your kids can also do this colouring-in sheet which will travel with their box and introduce them to the child receiving the box – or simply include a photos and a little note of encouragement with your box! Download gift ideas here and knitting patterns here.
Where can I get shoeboxes from?
Packs of pre-printed shoeboxes can be picked up at 96five Monday to Friday (9am-4pm) at 81 Mina Parade, Alderley – or grab any average-size shoebox
and cover the box and lid separately with brightly coloured paper.
Who can I pack one for?
You can pack a shoebox for either a girl or boy in the following age groups. Many of our listeners have shared that they have their kids fill a box for a child the same age! Will you fill your shoebox with gifts for a girl or for a boy? And what age? 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14. Specifying a gender and age group allows Operation Christmas Child to easily distribute the boxes at the other end!
Adding a labels (so you can see where your box goes) & contributing to postage
Order your labels and donate $10 for each shoebox you are going to pack here
Follow Your Box and see where it goes!
Where can I drop off my packed shoebox?
Shoebox collection month is OCCtober! So get packing now and when your shoeboxes are ready you can drop them off to either the 96five office – 81 Mina Parade, Alderley or find your nearest Drop Off Point.
What then?
Don’t forget to pray for the child who will be receiving the shoebox and if you’re social media savvy – post a picture of your shoebox on Facebook and Instagram with the hashtag #OCCanz and spread the word!