Every year our Christmas season begins with one of my favourite traditions. Before the Christmas tunes come out, before the decorations go up, and before a tree comes home our family fills shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. Operation Christmas Child delivers the shoeboxes we fill with gifts, personal care items and school supplies to children in desperate situations around the world spreading the meaning, joy and love of Christmas. It’s an easy way to share with a child who may not receive a gift otherwise.
As this week is Collection Week I thought I’d share a little about the program and hopefully inspire some of you do to the same.
My family has been filling shoeboxes since I was a teenager and now I’m continuing the tradition with my children. We love this yearly activity. I enjoy the fun of gathering items for the boxes and the littles love choosing gifts and packing them with me. We are thrilled to imagine who will receive them and where they live. It’s such a great way to remind us what Christmas means and avoid some of the commercialism which so often threatens to overwhelm us with wants.
I think about the boxes all year tucking away discounted t-shirts, sunglasses, school supplies and toys. Sometimes I’ve added sneakers I’ve found on sale or socks and underwear. This year I bought jump ropes at the end of the summer. Then in November we pull them out and pack it all into boxes along with soap, a toothbrush, a comb, a hand-crank flashlight and some other small items. We also write a letter/draw pictures and include a family photo to say hello. We often pack for a couple of different ages but I always try to have a couple for the older boy group (10-14 year olds) after my mom let me know there are usually the fewest boxes packed for them.
If packing a box yourself doesn’t interest you (or time doesn’t allow) there is even an option to pack a box online. The website (American website here) offers lots of suggestions on how to pack boxes and what to include. The American site even allows you to track your box online!
Here’s a peek at some of the things in our boxes:
We’ve got a few more things to add to our boxes so they’re full to the brim and then they will be on their way.
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do you have any fun traditions to get in the holiday mood? do you have any organizations to like to support with Christmas donations?
We do shoeboxes here too and also this year we are doing http://www.soles4souls.org/, it all does my heart good. I love hearing
that you are continuing this tradition with your children as I have done with mine, we all can make this a better world! Love ya!
xx
I always look forward to doing this too, but now here in Hawaii there has been no mention of it at all. Thanks for reminding me about the website; I’ll have to go and take a look!
How beautiful and thoughtful! I bet you enjoy continuing a meaningful tradition.
love that you are passing this tradition on to your kids. my kids saw a flyer about it at a friend’s house yesterday and made me promise we’d do it next year – how can we not?
That is so great Rachel! I love that you pick up things through the year- such a good idea.
This is so wonderful. What a great tradition to pass on to your children. I bet it warms so many hearts.
They are doing Operation Christmas Child at our church as well. I got a shoe box, but then I missed our deadline while we were away. Definitely for next year though, it’s such a special gift to so many children.
We always fill a box or two for Operation Christmas Child as well 🙂 It is such a wonderful gift to give and I love sharing it with my children to. How wonderful you are passing on the tradition with your children as well 🙂 Hugs
How sweet. what a wonderful tradition you have my friend.
So glad to see those pictures – they are so inspiring! What a wonderful tradition of sharing and love to establish with our children! Love it!!
How sweet. I am going to check this out! Thanks!!
Shoot! Only in Canada. I wonder if there is something similar in the US….