US Kids Help Send Christmas to 8 Million Kids Worldwide

Operation Christmas Child Shoe Box Gift Collection Is Underway - Volunteers Hope to Collect 8 Million Shoe Box Gifts

BOONE, N.C., Dec. 2, 2009—Communities across the United States are a picture of compassion in action-as families are working hard to collect millions of gift-filled shoe boxes.  Their efforts are part of Operation Christmas Child, a kids-helping-kids project that uses these simple gifts to let hurting children know that they are loved and not forgotten. 

Operation Christmas Child, a project of international Christian relief organization Samaritan's Purse, headed by Franklin Graham, is the world's largest Christmas project.  Kids, families, schools, churches and community groups participate by filling shoe boxes with school supplies, toys, necessity items, candy and a letter of encouragement.  The shoe boxes are then hand-delivered to hurting children around the world using whatever means necessary-sea containers, trucks, trains, airplanes, helicopters, boats, camels, even dog sleds. 

"In a lot of other countries the kids have almost nothing of their own.  So even simple things like stickers or colored pens or a ball are really special.  They will remember that shoe box gift forever.  I know I'll never forget mine," said Huda El-betjali, who received an Operation Christmas Child shoe box gift as a 9-year-old living in Jordan.  Now a student at Cal State San Bernardino, Huda has begun packing shoe box gifts for other kids in need.

In 1993, Samaritan's Purse kicked-off Operation Christmas Child in the United States with just 28,000 shoe box gifts.  Since then, the project has collected more than 69 million shoe box gifts and hand-delivered them to needy children in more than 130 countries.

Operation Christmas Child is underway RIGHT NOW, and volunteers hope to collect 8 million shoe box gifts for children suffering from poverty, war, disease, famine and natural disaster.

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Coverage Opportunities

• Kid Profile-Feature a child in one of five major U.S. cities (Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, New York or Philadelphia) who is looking beyond their own Christmas wish list to the needs of a hurting child in another country.
• Volunteer Profile-Feature one of the 100,000 U.S. volunteers who help get a shoe box gift from the loving arms of U.S. families to the hurting arms of a child struggling overseas.
• Shoe Box Collection: Nov. 16-23-More than 2,400 collection sites located in all 50 states are buzzing with activity for National Collection Week.  (After Nov. 23, shoe box gifts can be mailed to Samaritan's Purse: 801 Bamboo Road, Boone, N.C. 28607).
• "How to"-A downloadable graphic of how anyone can participate in the project is available at www.DeMossNews.com/occ.  Participants can deliver their shoe box gifts to one of a number of drop-off locations.  For more information on the nearest drop-off location, visit www.samaritanspurse.org or call 800.353.5949.
• Follow a Box: Samaritan's Purse uses tracking technology that allows donors to "follow your box" to the destination country where it will be hand-delivered to a child in need.  Using the EZ Give donation form found at www.samaritanspurse.org, families can register their boxes and find out where in the world their box brought joy to a child.
• Follow Operation Christmas Child via daily updates on Facebook and Twitter.

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Quotes

Huda El-betjali, who received a shoe box gift as a needy child living in Jordan

• "In a lot of other countries the kids have almost nothing of their own.  So even simple things like stickers or colored pens or a ball are really special.  They will remember that shoe box gift forever.  I know I'll never forget mine." 
• "I was surprised and excited.  It was the first time I had ever gotten a gift so it was really special, and I was really happy."
• "Everyone should pack a shoe box, even just one.  It won't cost you much, but it will mean a lot to a child somewhere who might not have anything."

Reggie Peterson, 84 years old and packing 1,000 shoe box gifts this year

• "But you don't have to pack a thousand shoe box gifts to make a difference.  Even one of these simple gifts can bring such hope and joy to a child in need."
• "I was in Germany during World War II and saw a lot of kids with nothing.  It really had an impact on me and made me want to do things to help them."
  

Former Romanian orphan, 22-year-old Livia Satterfield

• "I know firsthand these shoe box gifts bring joy and hope to children in desperate situations."
• "I want hurting kids to know that someone really does care about them-that someone wants them to smile, have fun and be loved."

Kathy Perry, of Houston, who has packed shoe box gifts with her six kids for more than a decade

• "I want hurting kids to know that someone really does care about them-that someone wants them to smile, have fun and be loved."
• "We like to shop together for our shoe box gifts.  Usually the boys will shop together for the boy boxes, and the girls for the girl boxes."

 

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About OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

Some 8 million suffering children in more than 100 countries on six continents will receive personal, gift-filled shoe boxes through this kids-helping-kids project. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has hand-delivered more than 69 million shoe box gifts to needy children around the world.

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