Operation Christmas Child aims to reach millions of children with hope this year

Published 11:46 am Tuesday, October 6, 2020

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause uncertainty, Samaritan’s Purse is calling on churches and families to pack more shoebox gifts than ever before for Operation Christmas Child — making sure millions of children experience the good news and great joy of the holiday. 

“Much of the world has been gripped with fear, and this is especially hard for children,” said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse. “Now more than ever, these boys and girls need to know God loves them. Operation Christmas Child delivers the hope found only in Jesus Christ.”

The Samaritan’s Purse project has been collecting and delivering shoebox gifts— filled with school supplies, hygiene items and fun toys — to children worldwide for more than two decades. The organization stresses this is a mission project that everyone can still be a part of, even with COVID-19 restrictions.

Samaritan’s Purse is urging local communities to pack shoeboxes with school supplies, hygiene items and fun toys. After packing the boxes, those participating can bring the boxes to any of the 4,000 drop-off locations during the national collection week Nov. 16-23.

For churches and groups that are not meeting physically, families are encouraged to pack shoebox gifts at home. The organization also offers an option to virtually pack a shoebox gift.

Drop-off locations will be listed starting in early November at SamaritansPurse.org and can be searched by city or ZIP code.

Those interested in more information on Operation Christmas Child COVID-19 protocols can visit the website and click on “Important COVID-19 Updates” for the latest information and answers to frequently asked questions.

According to Samaritan’s Purse, Operation Christmas Child seeks to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world and to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 178 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 160 countries and territories.