With Thanksgiving being just a few short weeks away, it’s the time of year for us to reflect upon and be thankful for all that we have. What better way to do so than to give back and help someone in need? Operation Christmas Child is the perfect way to do so and it makes for the perfect rainy day activity! It all starts with a shoe box and can change a child’s life! Start with a shoe box and fill it with toys, school supplies, and personal care items, and pay for shipping and it will be sent to a child affected by war, poverty, natural disasters, famine or disease. National Collection week for this activity is from November 13th-20th. Here’s how to participate:
Step 1: Find a shoe box! You can wrap it if you would like to, but the box and the lid have to be wrapped separately.
Step 2: Decide if you would like to pack a box for a boy or a girl, and choose an age group. The age groups are 2-4, 5-9, and 10-14 years old.
Step 3: Fill the box with exciting toys, personal care items, clothing, or school supplies, or a little bit of each. Some suggestions to get you started are filling your box with a foam ball, doll, stuffed animal, brush, toothbrush, washcloth, band-aids, playdough, art supplies, etc. Please do not fill your box with candy, food, toothpaste, lotions, war-related toys, medications, or glass materials. You can also include a personal photo and letter with your shoe box as well.
Step 4: Donate $9 for shipping and you will be able to track your box and see its final destination! How exciting!
Shoe box Drop Off Locations: There are over 5000 drop off locations in the U.S., many of them being in Maryland and Delaware. Check out this website https://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/ for more information about Operation Christmas Child and for the location nearest you!
This is a great opportunity to do something good and to help others. It can be an awesome activity for you to do with your kids, friends, and family. So dig in your closet for a shoe box and let’s get shopping!
