I heard about Operation Christmas Child a couple of years ago, but didn’t really understand what it was about. It wasn’t until yesterday whe I saw their promotional video in my church service, that I truly understood their mandate and needs. This video touched my heart:

Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse, got its start 18 years ago and became a part of Samaritan’s Purse in 1993. Since then, it has been responsible for delivering 60 million shoe box gifts filled with toys, school supplies and hygiene items, to children in over 100 countries.

Operation Christmas Child brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes and the message of God’s unconditional love. Anyone can participate in this simple, hands-on project.

Last season, 661,530 shoe boxes from Canada were collected and distributed to children in more than 15 countries. Each gift is a special reminder to a child that he or she is loved. Delivered by teams of local pastors, charities, and civic leaders, Operation Christmas Child gifts provide opportunities to make a lasting impact on children, families and communities. Often, the shoe boxes open doors to provide other aid, allowing Samaritan’s Purse to provide resources for a better tomorrow.

Packing a box is easy. You just need a box, an assortment of items like toothbrushes, soap, hard candy, note pads, crayons, pens, books, and toys, and a donation of $7 cash to cover the costs to deliver it. All in you can pack quite a nice box for about $20.

Then, you can drop off the box at any number of Operation Christmas Child shoe box drop-off locations near you including Safeway stores and Greyhound depots.

Do something this Christmas that shows the true spirit of the holiday and make one child very happy.

EDIT: For those not in Canada, here are some other Samaritan’s Purse links: Australia, The United Kingdom, The United States, Germany & Austria.