Give Back: Create A Shoebox of Love

Editorʻs Note: This blog was originally published in 2013. The acceptance week for Operation Christmas Child in 2017 is November 13-20.

Operation Christmas Child is run by a humanitarian organization called Samaritan’s Purse. Participants fill a shoebox with gifts for a girl or a boy in another country, wrap it up, and take it to a drop-off point. You can also build a box online, selecting the gifts to give away.

We have filled shoeboxes for the past five years. It has been a really nice way to make “thinking of others” a hands-on activity for the whole family.

What to include? Consider goodies such as slinkies, balls, stuffed animals, jump ropes, flashlights, hair clips, jewelry, toy cars, coloring books and crayons, and art supplies.

We keep a large empty shoebox in the closet that we fill throughput the year with trinkets that come home from birthday parties, goodie bags from school, toys from restaurants, a puppet from a sports event, even some stocking stuffers that the kids wanted to save for the following year. My kids get a new T-shirt every time they enroll in gymnastics, so we set these unused shirts aside for the next box. This way “thinking of others” becomes a yearlong discussion, not just one night, the week before the box is due. Yes, sometimes they look wistfully at that toy they put in the shoebox months ago and want it back, but chances are they have something very similar already. We discuss what it might feel like for another child to receive it for the first time. 

We do not spend very much money at all on this project. A week or so before it is due, the kids tag along to Target and choose a toothbrush and toothpaste kit, a bar of soap and soap holder, and some combs. We also take a peek at the dollar section up front. We always seem to have numerous colorful, unused pencils at home, but we purchase a pencil sharpener and journal or pad of paper.

Do not include liquids, breakable items such as snow globes, or war-related items such as guns or knives. No chocolate or food is allowed. 

You can wrap your gift (but you have to wrap the lid separately) or you can leave it unwrapped. You will be asked to print out labels so that you can specify if your box is for a boy or a girl, and you'll need to specify the age range (2 to 4, 5 to 9, or 10 to 14 years old). Secure the lid with a large rubber band, attach your label, and drop it off. The organization requests a $9 donation for each box. Or, you can purchase a tracking label for $9 so the kids can see exactly where their gift is going. 

You can also build a custom box online for $25. Kids can choose the small toys and other items–including slippers, stickers and sunglasses–for another child. One neat thing about building a box this way is every time you select something to put inside, a little window pops up with a short story about a child that received a gift. Your kids can see how much it meant to another child to receive something as small as a hairbrush or pencils.

If you donate online you can track where your box goes. Last year our boxes went to Indonesia. The year before they went to Nepal.

Michele Aucello and her husband Kevin live with their children Isabella and Luca, some chickens, and the occasional elf and leprechaun. You can reach Michele via email, Facebook, or via her personal blog, Leprechauntricks.com. You can also follow her on Pinterest, where she gets many of her ideas.   

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There is a lot more fun for families this holiday season. Watch for more crafts, recipes and a full round up of holiday events and parades in our Holiday Corner, launching November 20.