Your Boys’ Brigade Company can show children in need around the world you love them and God loves them by packing shoebox gifts with Operation Christmas Child. In 2018 over 10.6 million shoeboxes collected globally are equipping thousands of churches overseas to reach out generously to children with the joy of a simple gift and the Christmas story of Jesus, the greatest gift of all.

In this issue Nick Cole, Director of Operation Christmas Child UK at Samaritan’s Purse shares with us more about their work, the impact it’s having across the globe and how BB Companies can get involved.

Who are Samaritan’s Purse & Operation Christmas Child?

Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian international relief organisation. Our mission is to provide local partners around the world with shoeboxes filled with small toys, hygiene items, and school supplies as a means of reaching out to children in their own communities with the Good News of Jesus Christ. We ship these simple gifts outside the United Kingdom to children affected by war, poverty, natural disaster, famine, and disease.

Impact of a shoebox

“My name is Losif. I am 10 years old. I am from Dolinoe village, Criuleni district, Republic of Moldova. I have two sisters and two brothers, one of whom is a baby. I am so very happy that the Lord Jesus Christ did not forget us and sent us Christmas gifts through you. In the boxes we found many things we cannot buy, such as: toys, crayons, pencils and many other useful and nice things. We have a hard life with many needs we have gotten used to, but at Christmas we felt true joy. The youth from the local church visited us with a wonderful programme of Christmas carols and songs. We could really feel the joy of Christmas in our hearts.”

Shoebox gifts from the UK are sent to 11 countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East. In 2018, we collected and distributed 10.6 million shoebox gifts globally, to 112 countries around the world, bringing the total since the campaign began to around 160 million shoeboxes.

How could your Company get involved?

Download the Operation Christmas Child Activity Card

Pack Shoeboxes:

Despite these amazing numbers, it still all begins with one simple shoebox, packed by someone like you, and it’s so easy:

1. Wrap an empty shoebox in colourful paper (wrap the box and lid separately), for a boy or girl.
2. Fill it with new items such as fun toys, hygiene items and school supplies, and include a special gift like a soft toy, football or doll.
3. Including a personal note and photo makes a big impact on the child that receives it; and remember to pray for them too.
4. Include a £5 donation which is critical to cover shipping and other project costs such as training and materials for our overseas partners who distribute the gifts. If you make this donation online we will send you a barcode to include in your box so we can tell you which country it gets sent to.
5. Drop off your shoebox at one of hundreds of locations around the UK.