Operation Christmas Child

While I was reading “Be a fun mum” the other day, I was impressed (and shocked) to see this great blog post on preparing for Christmas. Is it really that time already?

Traditionally, I don’t start thinking Christmas until at least November, but I have discovered that this year I need to be a little bit more organised. Our church is participating in Operation Christmas Child, and we have decided that it would be a good thing to do as a family too. The scary bit is, that the boxes need to be packed and dropped off by the 25th October!

If you want the full run-down on Operation Christmas Child, head to www.operationchristmaschild.org.au. Basically, Operation Christmas Child is an add-on to the work of Samaritan’s Purse in developing countries. Last year, over 300,000 children in South-east Asia and the Pacific received Christmas gifts through Operation Christmas Child. 

The steps for preparing a shoe-box gift are on the website:

1. Find an empty medium-sized shoe-box (there are some size requirements). Wrap the box and lid separately with wrapping paper.
2. Choose whether you will contribute presents for a boy or a girl and what age group (2-4 years, 5-9 years, 10-14 years)
3. Fill the shoe-box with small gifts appropriate for the gender and age. The brochure and website recommend including something to love (teddy, doll), something for personal hygiene (toothbrush, soap, washer) something for school (pencils, notebooks), something to wear (hat, t-shirt, shoes), something to play with (skipping rope, game, ball) and something special (stickers, bracelets).

It is also recommended that you give a cash donation of at least $9 to help with the costs of delivering the box etc. Drop-off points for shoe-boxes will be available on the Operation Christmas Child website after 1st September.

We will be packing a box for a girl in the 2-4 year age group this year (because my daughter is in this age group and will be responsible for choosing gifts). As well as contributing to those in need this Christmas, we would like to use Operation Christmas Child (hopefully on a yearly basis) to teach our children about being generous to others and thinking beyond themselves and their own desires at Christmas time. We also plan to pray as a family for the little girl who receives our gift (though we won’t know specifically who it is) and remember her at Christmas time.

It didn’t mention on the website, but I think Samaritan’s Purse often struggle to get gifts for older children, so if you are thinking of getting involved but didn’t have any particular child in mind, maybe a gift for 10-14 years would be appropriate.  And, in the interest of full disclosure, Samaritan’s Purse is a Christian organisation. Though it is preferred that there is no specifically Christian material in the shoe-boxes, Samaritan’s Purse do use their aid work (including Operation Christmas Child) as a stepping stone to tell people about Jesus. If you have an issue with this, then Operation Christmas Child may not be something for your family.

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