One of the things I love best about having this blog is that it gives me a platform to talk about things that I really care about.
This is me talking about Operation Christmas Child because it's something I really care about.
Some of you may know Operation Christmas Child as the Shoebox Ministry, which is run by Samaritans Purse. Because of Operation Christmas Child, some 8 million needy children, in more than 100 countries on six continents, will receive personal, gift-filled shoe boxes this year. For many of these children, the shoe box gift will be the first gift they have ever received.
Operation Christmas Child partners with caring individuals, families, schools, churches, civic clubs and other organizations in thousands of cities in all 50 states and 11 additional countries to fill those 8 million shoe boxes with school supplies, toys, necessity items, family photos and notes of encouragement for needy
children.
More than 500,000 volunteers worldwide, including some 100,000 volunteers in the United States, will join forces to prepare the boxes for transport to distant lands.
Our church participates in Operation Christmas Child and each year our family fills at least 2 shoeboxes...for children the same ages as our sons. It's a great way to get our kids thinking outside of themselves at Christmas.
My friend, Sarah, from Real Life is partnering with Operation Christmas Child to reach the blogging community. She is going to host a blogging carnival for people to share their OCC stories (the carnival starts TODAY!) and a virtual packing party on her live MomTV Show. You can read all about Bloggers Care: Operation Christmas Child on her site.
When she asked for volunteers to help spread the word, I couldn't say YES fast enough. If you're a blogger, we'd love for you to help spread the word too.
And there are so many ways to get involved as an individual or as a group. You can pack boxes as an individual or you can organize a group to pack or you can donate. Be sure to see Bloggers Care: Operation Christmas Child at Real Life for more info.
24 comments {Click here to leave a comment}:
This is a GREAT organization! We have done this every year for many years now and pack several boxes. Lovely to see some light being shed on this wonderful project.
We always try to participate in Operation Christmas Child. It's a wonderful organization. Thanks for spreading the word.
We got to be on the distribution end when we lived in Venezuela...awesome, awesome!
This is a wonderful organization to support. Owning a non profit and helping people is one of my biggest joys and knowing that giving these gifts does more then give them something fun and cool - but it gives them hope and lets them know that so many people care for them - which will do more for them than any of us can really know. Thank you for highlighting this organization and their Christmas Outreach.
I love OCC. We do this every year through our church, too.
Just bought some items at Target, yesterday. We have done this for years at our church. (Dominoes are $2.89 at Target right now.)
Thank You Thank You Thank You for posting about this. I had never heard of this. I have been trying to think of a way to help out this holiday season and this is absolutely perfect! The picture you added with the children open their gifts is just priceless...left me with goosebumps! I am definitely going to do this with my children and maybe organize something within my community!!!
I participate in Operation Christmas Child every year. It is a wonderful organization. It's wonderful that the blog world is shedding light on this project.
I have always heard of Operation Christmas Child but never participated. I attended a coupon class a few weeks ago and the church that was hosting the event shared about OCC w/us. They showed a 3 min video and I was crying like a baby when it finished! The lady who was in charge shared w/us her experience of getting to be there in some of the third world countries when the boxes were distrubuted. She told how something as simple as toothpast/toothbrush or crayons can excited these children. I'll definitly send a few boxes this year!
I had never heard of it before, but that sounds like a great organization.
Great post! We'll be this for the first time this year. We've always done the Angel Tree (we shop for the AT on St. Nicholas Day), but never OCC. Our hs curriculum this year is Winter Promise Children Around the World and he's learning about how many children don't have much. I think OCC is a great project for him to get involved in.
What a blessing you are to help spread the word about this wonderful organization. I am on the steering team at our local MOPS group and we have a goal of 100 boxes that we'll be donating on Nov. 18th. Doesn't seem like a lot in the great scheme of things, although it means SO much to the children. Stop by my blog...I'll do a post as well.
I love OCC! My church in Plano, TX has partnered with them for several years. One year we had the children's ministry be the "fillers of boxes" and they got to really learn what the whole mission of OCC was and who the boxes were for. Looking forward to participate with OCC again this year!
My mom used to be the missions director for our church and did this a few times. It was great! It's a fairly inexpensive way to make a huge difference. Thanks for posting this!
Yay! Thanks so much for spreading the word! I love it when I see how people all across the country join for this project, it really is so cool!!
This great, I've been participating in this for years and am putting together about 12 boxes. I definately participate in the promotion efforts ;-)
This is the first time I have heard of it, but I have already blogged about my participation it it this year! Thanks for posting about it! I am excited!!!
Looking at those children's happy faces made the tears run down my face. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in my daily life that I forget how extremely blessed my family is and how many go without. My heart aches especially for children. I wish I could give the unfortunate ones a loving home, full bellies, and sun shine. May there treasures be many in heaven.
Our church is doing this for the first time this year. My fiance & I are going to fill 2 boxes. It's a great ministry!
Very nice.
St. Nick
www.stnicksday.com
Love this
Our church has been doing this for years and we usually participate either by filling boxes or helping with shipping costs. My hubby was recently in Nicaragua and actually got to help distribute boxes to the children. He said it was amazing to see the look of pure joy on the children's faces as they opened their boxes.
our church has done this for several years, too....it's a great cause!
Suzanne
thanks for the reminder! i need to pick up our boxes again this year.
Thank you so much for passing this on!
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