Give A Shoebox Of Christmas Gifts This Sunday

By Clare BruceFriday 23 Oct 2015Station NewsReading Time: 2 minutes

This Sunday, October 25, is the day to drop your box filled with gifts for children, to an Operation Christmas Shoebox collection point near you.

Beaming: A little boy receives a touch of God’s love in the form of an Operation Christmas Child gift.

It’s “Shoebox Sunday” and this year, we’d love you to drop your shoebox to any church registered as an official drop-off point.  There are more than 20 churches and venues around Sydney registered to collect boxes of gifts.

To find your nearest drop-off point see the Shoebox Sunday map, and click on a map pin or a green dot to see the locations listed.

Please note: The Hope 103.2 Studios will NOT be a drop-off point on Sunday, October 25.

What Gifts Should I Pack In My Shoebox?

It’s not too late to get involved. Just grab a regular shoebox, and fill it with simple gifts from the categories listed below.

What To Pack

1. Something to Love

2. Something for School

3. Something to wear

4. Something to Play with

5. Something for Personal Hygiene

6. Something Special

What Not to Pack

1. Items that leak

2. Food or lollies

3. Used or damaged items

4. Breakable Items

5. Items that can scare or harm a child

6. Gambling related items

7. Anything of a religious, racial or political nature

So What Is Operation Christmas Child Exactly?

Hope at Christmas: Children like this little girl, living in one of the areas of Nepal most vulnerable to sex traffficking, will receive Christmas gifts donated through Operation Christmas Child.

Operation Christmas Child is an initiative in which millions of shoeboxes filled with Christmas gifts and toys are sent to children in need around the world.

It’s an initiative of Samaritan’s Purse, a non-profit Christian relief and relief and development organisation that supports people suffering the effects of war, famine, disaster and poverty.

The organisation works in over 100 nations around the world, including Nepal where they are currently delivering post-earthquake relief.

Since Operation Christmas Child began in 1993, more than 125 million shoeboxes, filled with gifts, have been sent to children in over 150 nations around the world.

And since Samaritan’s Purse supports people regardless of their race, creed, gender, religion, or ethnicity, that means children from all walks of life have been touched by the Christmas message through the initiative.

The event only succeeds because of the support of everyday people who donate a shoebox filled with gifts for a child in need.