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If you’ve been around for a while, you know that one of my huge passions is Operation Christmas Child. Our family works together to pack boxes every year and we’ve helped with collecting boxes as well as working at the OCC warehouse. One year, I even got to go to Haiti to deliver boxes in person! If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you can check out the Operation Christmas Child website. This year, the national collection week for shoeboxes is November 18-25.
This is such a great family project to do as Christmas approaches. One idea is to do a box that matches the age and gender of each of your children, and then let your kids help with the shopping, encouraging them to pick out the kinds of things they think they would like to receive.
Operation Christmas Child Ideas for 2019
The Basics
As I said before, the national collection week is toward the end of November, so even if it feels strange to already be thinking about Christmas, now is a great time to get started. All you’ll need to do is just find a shoebox and start packing! You’ll also want to be sure to include a $9 donation that helps cover the cost of transportation.
What to Pack
There are resources on the OCC website for what to pack, but you can also check out a post I did several years ago that includes a video on what to pack. The great thing is, many of the best things to pack are things you can get for cheap or free—school supplies, personal care items, etc.
There are also some things you shouldn’t pack. The website lists the following: candy; toothpaste; gum; used or damaged items; war-related items such as toy guns, knives, or military figures; chocolate or food; seeds; fruit rolls or other fruit snacks; drink mixes (powdered or liquid); liquids or lotions; medications or vitamins; breakable items such as snow globes or glass containers; aerosol cans.
Over the years, I’ve written several posts with ideas for what to pack:
65 Ideas for Things to Pack in Operation Christmas Child Boxes
DIY Operation Christmas Child Crafts
Top Ideas for What to Pack from Amazon
Have you done Operation Christmas Child before? Share your tips and experiences in the comments!
