Pack a shoebox gift and share God's love
Pack a Shoebox
Find a Shoebox
Get an empty medium sized shoebox, and wrap the box and lid separately in colourful wrapping paper or order preprinted shoeboxes online. Attach the appropriate boy/girl label, marking if your gift is for a boy or a girl. Select an age category 2-4, 5-9 or 10-14 and attach the label to the top of your shoebox.
Fill with gifts
Fill your shoebox with a selection of fun toys, hygiene items and school supplies. If possible, include one or two special items you know a child will love such as a doll, cuddly toy or deflated football with pump. See our Gift Suggestions below for more ideas.
Make your project donation
A suggested donation of £5 is essential to cover project costs, including shipping, to enable a local church or group overseas to lead a safe, well-organised children's event where your shoebox will be given to a child in need. More detail on what your donation covers here.
Give online at Follow Your Box and you can print out a barcode and place it inside your shoebox on top of the contents. This will enable us to tell you which country your shoebox gets sent to.
Or you can post your donation to Victoria House, Victoria Road, Buckhurst Hill, Essex, IG9 5EX using the prepaid envelope on our ˜How to Pack a Shoebox" leaflet. Cheques should be payable to "Samaritan's Purse" and signed and dated with your address on the back. If you are packing multiple shoeboxes you can write a cheque for one combined donation.
Note: Follow your Box is only available when you pay online
Personalise & Pray
Personalise your shoebox by including a hand written note and a photograph of yourself, your group or your family. You may also like to pray for the child that will receive your gift.
Drop Off Your Shoebox
Place a rubber band around each closed shoebox and take it to a local Drop-off Location.
National Collection Week will be 13-20 November 2023.
Your nearest Drop-off Location will be listed here, or call 0870 011 2002.
Considering Getting Others Involved?
Our leaflets, posters, flat-pack shoeboxes, gift suggestion guides and downloadable videos make it easy to share Operations Christmas Child with your friends, family, school, church or group.
Order Now
More Ways To Get Involved
Hold A Packing Party
Hosting a Packing Party is a fun way to share the ministry impact of Operation Christmas Child with your friends, church or group and enjoy packing shoeboxes together.
Volunteer Locally
Volunteering with Operation Christmas Child can take many forms, from collecting shoebox gifts in National Collection Week or checking them at a processing centre to serving year-round as a promotional volunteer.
Your shoebox gift with Operation Christmas Child:
Inspires Joy
You'll be giving unimaginable excitement and hope to children in need around the world.
Reaches further
Partnering with Operation Christmas Child ensures shoeboxes get to hard-to-reach groups like refugee children in the Middle East.
Invites to Jesus
Your shoebox will reach a child in need through one of over 75,000 local churches sharing the good news of life and hope in Jesus in a child-friendly way.
Specially delivered
Your can rest easy knowing your shoebox gift will be delivered through church and community leaders who've been trained to lead safe, well-organised celebrations.
Stay Inspired
I would like to be kept informed of how Samaritan’s Purse is meeting the critical needs of victims of war, poverty, famine, disease, and natural disaster while sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.
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Samaritan's Purse International is a registered charity within England and Wales (1001349), and in Scotland (SC039251), and an incorporated company registered by guarantee in England and Wales (2462257) and Ireland (906431).
Please read our Privacy Policy and Statement of Faith
Victoria House | Victoria Road | Buckhurst Hill
Essex | IG9 5EX | UK
Telephone: 020 8559 1180
Email: info@samaritans-purse.org.uk
© Samaritan's Purse 2023. All rights reserved.
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