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As we get into October, it’s time to really start to get focused on packing Operation Christmas Child (OCC) Boxes. This is my families favorite outreach, and has really helped us get into the holiday spirit each year. What a better way to teach your kids about Christmas, than letting them help pack boxes of gifts for kids that will never get a present any other way. This will be our fourth year packing boxes, and every year we get more organized and more into it!
If this is your first time hearing about it, then let me share the basics.
Your family can pack a shoebox filled with little things that any kid would love and need. There are collection sites all over the US, and from their your gift is processed and shipped to any one of a number of countries. Last year they even got boxes in undisclosed areas that had never let them in! Boxes go out to over 100 different countries, reaching over 5,000,000 kids last year alone.
I had the joy of passing out boxes in Haiti last year, and my life was changed. These kids have such joy, but yet they have nothing. We went into a dirt floor school room packed with over 100 children, they had no clue what we were there for, but were so eager to please us. They even sang happy birthday to my husband who was back in the states. As we passed out boxes the kids were literally leaping out of the seats they were so excited over crayons, and toy cars. Their thankfulness and joy made most of us cry, and is a moment that I will never forget.
If you plan ahead the cost is very minimal, but I promise the rewards are great. Each Wednesday for the next 6 weeks I will give you a list of the top deals around town that would be perfect for a box. Some things to look out for:
Toothpaste
Toothbrush
Bar Soap
Wash Towel (I like the ones that are super shrunk and grow they get wet- they are $1 at Dollar Tree)
Stickers
Sun Glasses
School Supplies
Little Toys
After you are done packing your box they ask for a $7 donation to help with shipping costs. It is not required, but it helpful. I would encourage you to make your donation online, and then you’ll get to follow your box all the way to it’s destination country. We’ve turned that into a school lesson, taking the time to learn about the countries our boxes have traveled too. We packed 8 boxes last year and they ended up in 6 different countries!
To get more ideas, watch a video I made with OCC last year, discussing tips for packing a frugal show box:
