Pack a shoebox gift and share God’s love
Pick and Pack a Shoebox Yourself
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 enclose cash or cheque (to Samaritan's Purse) and place it in an envelope inside your shoebox on top of the contents. 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 9-16 November for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and 5-14 December for England (with the exception of The Entertainer store which are still open to collect during 9-16 November).
Your nearest Drop-off Location will be listed here, or call 0870 011 2002.
Simple ways to get started
Donate & Follow Your Box
Make your project donation online and include a barcode in your shoebox to discover its location.
Find a Drop-off Location
Find your nearest Shoebox Drop-Off location
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
COVID-19 Update
The safety and health of children receiving Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts, our volunteers, staff, and our ministry partners is of utmost importance to us. We’ve introduced social distancing and reduced handling of the shoeboxes at our drop-off locations and continue to adapt our processes to follow government guidelines, prioritising the safety of all involved
Learn MoreYour 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).
Please read our Privacy Policy and Statement of Faith
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Essex IG9 5EX | UK
Telephone: 020 8559 1180
Email: info@samaritans-purse.org.uk
© Samaritan's Purse 2021. All rights reserved.
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