Samaritan’s Purse

Samaritan’s Purse is calling on people across the UK to be ‘One in a Million’ and pack a gift-filled shoebox this Christmas.

Samaritan’s Purse UK Executive Director Simon Barrington explains that every person who lovingly packs a shoebox or who volunteers for Operation Christmas Child is ‘one in a million’ to us.

“This year we want to reach a million more precious children with a simple shoebox gift and help them to know that they are loved and not forgotten. So we are asking, will you get involved? Will you be ‘one in a million’ and pack a shoebox gift for a child in need this Christmas? It’s also a great way for all of us to make a difference in a child’s life and to share God’s love with them. It’s a time to share the true meaning of Christmas with children around the world, about the birth of Jesus Christ.”

Last year 850,638 gift-filled shoe boxes containing school supplies, toys, hygiene items and notes of encouragement were sent from the UK to children in need overseas. Since 1993, globally Operation Christmas Child has delivered gift-filled shoeboxes to more than 124 million children in over 150 countries.

Reaching more than 11 million children with Christmas joy takes a massive, year-round global effort. So whether it’s August or December, generous volunteers across the UK partner with Operation Christmas Child, the world’s largest Children’s Christmas project, to send shoeboxes full of gifts to children in need overseas. Shoeboxes are sent from the UK, United States, Canada, Australia, Austria, Finland, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, New Zealand and Spain!

In northern Iraq last Christmas, thousands of children displaced by ISIS militants received a special gift when Samaritan’s Purse delivered 60,000 shoeboxes. One of these children was Alda, who was forced to flee her homeland because of an outbreak of violence. As she dug through her box, a huge grin spread across her face. Tucked inside she found her brand new skipping rope. She quickly unfurled it and began to jump in the bright afternoon sun. Nearby, her sister Shahnaz, 3, hugged a stuffed animal and her brother, Delshad, 10, inspected a yo-yo and puzzle. As Alda opened her box, all around the camp children could be found enjoying the contents of their boxes. This tangible demonstration of God’s love brings joy to children who have experienced so much sadness. This year Operation Christmas Child are aiming to send thousands of Shoebox gifts to refugees in Northern Iraq, Macedonia and Serbia and your shoebox could be one of them.

If you would like information on how to pack a shoebox gift or how you can get involved in this project, go to www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk, or find OCC on Facebook at facebook.com/occuk.

If you have ever packed a shoebox help Operation Christmas Child encourage others to be ‘one in a million’ and get involved in this year’s campaign - pack a shoebox this year and tell us your story at www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/yourshoeboxstory.

Download your leaflet in English or Welsh here:
www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/village