Operation Christmas Child
What is Operation Christmas Child?
Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international relief organization. The mission is to provide local partners around the world with shoeboxes filled with small toys, hygiene items, and school supplies as a means of reaching out to children in their own communities with the Good News of Jesus Christ. These simple gifts are shipped outside the United States to children affected by war, poverty, natural disaster, famine, and disease; and to children living on Native American reservations in the U.S.
2024 was a special year for Fellowship, as we celebrate our 20th year to be a drop off center for Operation Christmas Child. Celebrate with us by reminiscing on OCC seasons of the past through our annual celebration videos.
HOW TO PACK
For step by step instructions on how to pack a shoe box and guidelines on what you can and cannot include, visit this incredibly helpful packing guide. There are also many gift suggestions available on the Operation Christmas Child website.
The GO Store, located in Downtown Conway, is the perfect place for you to buy approved items to put in your box for a fraction of the cost of retail. That means, if you plan to pack 1 box, you might be able to pack 2 or 3 boxes for the same amount! Visit their Facebook page for the latest information on store hours and inventory availability.
After getting your box packed, make sure to visit the OCC website and print of a Follow Your Box label. These labels are scanned and once the box is delivered, you will receive an email letting you know the country where your box has been delivered! Follow Your Box also lets you pay the $10 shipping donation, per box, conveniently!
WHY IS THE $10 PER BOX DONATION CRITICAL?
Your $10 donation to Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan's Purse, helps us train and equip local churches to use our Ministry Partner Guide. This resource shows churches how to share the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ in a child-friendly way.
Your donation also provides The Greatest Gift Gospel Booklets, which are written in the children's language and distributed along with shoebox gifts.
To better understand the full impact of each donation, check out the video below when shoebox recipient Alex tries to mail a box to his home country of Rwanda.
COLLECTION WEEK
National Collection Week is November 2025.
BUILD A SHOEBOX ONLINE
You can give boys and girls in need a tangible expression of God’s love through a gift-filled shoebox packed from your computer or handheld device. In just a few clicks, you can select toys and other fun items to include as well as a letter and photo to delight the heart of a child. Click here to learn more or begin packing boxes.
VOLUNTEERS
Operation Christmas Child has numerous volunteer opportunities!
Special Access Pack - Each year, Fellowship packs boxes that go to hard-to-reach places across the globe. In 2024, Fellowship will be packing 2,800 shoeboxes. The 2024 Christmas Offering will fund the boxes for the 2025 Special Access Pack. Questions? Email Fellowship’s Project Leader, Paul Bradley, at paul@fellowshipconway.org.
National Collection Week - There are many opportunities for you to volunteer during National Collection Week.
Processing Center - After boxes leave Fellowship and other drop-off locations, they will arrive at processing centers across the United States. Fellowship volunteers at the Dallas Processing Center during the first weekend of December.