One event that my family looks forward to each year besides Christmas, Easter, birthdays, and anniversaries is Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse a Christian International Relief organization headed up by Franklin Graham.

Operation Christmas Child allows for people around the world to fill up empty shoe boxes with small toys, school supplies, personal hygiene items, and related material for either a boy or a girl. With a personal note included, contributors can bring a measure of blessing to children who live in strife torn lands or who have suffered from an earthquake, famine, or other life threatening disaster.

The National Collection Week for this year’s campaign is November 13 to 20 with collection points set up across the country. Many churches participate, some YMCAs, as well as certain civic or private organizations who will help gather the boxes to ship to distribution centers in their region. From there, boxes are shipped via airplane to locations all around the world. Not all gifts will arrive for Christmas, but that doesn’t matter as the shoe boxes are a blessing to the young recipients no matter when given.

My family will be doing four boxes again this year for two boys and two girls. We make it a family project with our boys actively picking up items with their mother and together we pack and decorate the boxes before taking them to our local distribution center.

You can give to hurting children in Jesus’ name through the ministry of Operation Christmas Child. Please click the following picture to find out more information.