Operation Christmas Child’s National Collection Week ends Nov. 20

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — National Collection Week has begun for Operation Christmas Child.

In Operation Christmas Child (OCC), generous donors prepare shoeboxes filled with toys, personal care items, school supplies and more. They then drop those boxes off to OCC collection sites.

This girl shows off the doll she received in her shoebox gift at an outreach event in Paramaribo, Suriname. / Courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse

OCC takes those gifts worldwide to allow less fortunate children to experience the joy of Christmas.

There are more than 4,500 drop-off sites for shoeboxes. Find a drop-off location here.

The last date to drop off a shoebox is Monday, November 20.

OCC has been ongoing for three decades. It is a function of Samaritan’s Purse, which partners with local churches across the world to make this happen each year.

“This season, children around the world need a tangible reminder that there is hope and that God loves them,” said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse. “Through these shoebox gifts packed with special items, children also receive the opportunity to hear about the eternal hope found in Jesus Christ.”

Those interested can learn how the project works here. Donors can fill a shoebox by hand and drop it off, or they can build a shoebox online.

Since its inception in 1993, OCC has delivered more than 209 million shoeboxes full of Christmas gifts to children worldwide. They have served over 170 countries and territories during this time.

Our regional processing centers bustle with activity as volunteers ready shoebox gifts for their trip overseas. / Courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse