Take a look at the priceless reactions as these sweet children in Liberia enjoy opening their shoebox gifts together.  

Will you send Good News and great joy to many more children in need, who have yet to receive a shoebox gift?

Get started today…

From ‘How to pack a shoebox’ leaflets, to preprinted shoeboxes and promotional posters, our Resources & Ideas Hub has everything you need to encourage your church or group to pack shoebox gifts this year.

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Project Leader Workshop

Join us this weekend (11 September, 10:30am-12:00pm) for an engaging online event that will equip you to share Operation Christmas Child with your church or group and provide you with the latest information on the 2021 season.

Learn more

Updates

• Project donations — Donating your £5 per shoebox project donation online via Follow Your Box remains the most efficient way to donate and allows you to discover where your shoebox was sent by including a barcode in your shoebox gift. However, if you or members of your group are unable to do this, donating by cash or cheque are still great options. This year you will now find prepaid postal envelopes included (as part of our leaflet) to return your donations directly to us, rather than including them inside your shoebox gift.
• Guidance on gifts — Don’t forget to check our gift suggestions for updates. For example, sweets, toothpaste, liquids and lotions continue to be inappropriate items but flip-flops, socks, t-shirts, four-suit playing cards, books and handmade toys can now be packed. More information
• 2021 film – Don’t miss Kanto’s story, an inspiring account about the difference shoebox gifts like yours are making in Madagascar and around the world.
• A new group tool for packing shoeboxes online – For those who like to pack shoeboxes online, our Group Goal pages make it easier than ever to share the fun of online shoebox packing with your friends, family or group. Simply create your own Group Goal page, circulate the link and watch your shoebox tracker grow as you pack shoeboxes online together.

National Collection Week: 15-22 November 2021

This year drop-off locations across the UK will open to receive shoeboxes during the third week in November.

Three more joyful moments created by shoeboxes packed last year:

Unique

Unique was born in Nigeria and recently moved to Gambia with his father. His mother and younger sibling were hoping to follow but unfortunately the family were kept apart by travel restrictions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Five-year-old Unique was delighted to receive a shoebox gift at an Operation Christmas Child outreach event and to hear of God’s love for him. He was also thrilled to discover a football inside his shoebox gift! He soon began making friends over a game of football and was keen to share God’s love with the other children he met.

Ishmaeli

Twelve-year-old Ishmaeli was so surprised to find a new backpack in his shoebox gift, that he danced with joy! Ishmaeli was also overjoyed to learn of God’s love for him. Before the shoebox outreach event, he did not attend school regularly. But now he has decided to follow Jesus, attend The Greatest Journey programme, and even go back to school! Ishmaeli’s story is a great reminder of the Good News and great joy each shoebox can bring.

Footballs and Coconuts

A group of children in Tanzania had been collecting coconut shells for over two months to sell at the market, with the aim of making enough money to buy a single football for the village. To their great surprise many local children were invited to an Operation Christmas Child event and more than a dozen boys and girls received footballs and pumps in their shoebox gifts! The children were delighted and now the coconut shells can be sold to provide other essential items.

Together we can bring joy to many more children in need who have yet to receive a shoebox gift!

Prioritising Safety

Operation Christmas Child is continuing to monitor COVID-19 guidelines both here in the UK and working with our international volunteer leadership teams in over 100 countries to assess ministry activity and make the necessary modifications.