Many of you have heard of Operation Christmas Child - a ministry of Samaritan's Purse. But did you know that you can work on shoebox gifts all year long?
I used to find it difficult to buy gifts to put into a shoebox in October/November, at the time when I was trying to figure out how I would manage to buy gifts for my own family. Those short weeks between the distribution of the empty boxes and the pick-up date flew by. I was lucky to manage filling one box and then paying for the postage.
Then I found out that I could make and buy shoebox items all year round. Last year I was able to pack 14 boxes, filling them with many handmade items, plus things I'd bought at a discount. I wasn't able to pay the postage for all of the boxes, but donations from others covered that cost.
Since then I've discovered that items called "fillers" are always needed and can be given to my region's representative. Toothbrushes, hairbands, crayons, facecloths, combs: these are all highly prized items.
Our knitting group often makes items for shoeboxes or shoebox fillers. It's like having Christmas all year round, imagining the faces of the children when they open their gifts.
Here are a few things I've made for shoeboxes:
I hope you will consider participating in this worthwhile ministry. There are many ways you can contribute: making fillers items, donating postage cost, packing your own box, or working with a local team to prepare boxes for shipping. It's so much fun, I almost feel guilty using our offering money to do it.
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