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Operation Christmas Child packs shoeboxes for children across the world

By Paul Boyd
By Paul Boyd

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Instead of buying gifts on Black Friday, volunteers from Operation Christmas Child packed gifts.

"We love Operation Christmas Child,” volunteer Betty Myers said.

Operation Christmas Child is a charitable tradition through Samaritan's Purse that's continued for the past 25 years.

[Operation Christmas Child shoebox drop-off locations]
[2.4M Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes to be shipped from Charlotte]
[LINK: About Operation Christmas Child]

The purpose is to share shoebox gifts filled with toys, school supplies and hygiene items to millions of children worldwide.

"Some of these kids, this is the first gift they ever receive and we are just so excited to play a small, but major, part of that role today,” volunteer Lynn Ransom said.

Inside the Charlotte processing center, volunteers said they hope the packed shoeboxes aren't the only gift they hope to share.

"But more than that, this is a Gospel opportunity,” Myers said.

There's a spiritual message inside each shoebox. Some of the children are orphans or come from developing nations.

"They not only loved the boxes, but they loved the message as well,” volunteer John Myers said.

Volunteers told reporter Briana Harper that one of the best parts of Operation Christmas Child is getting a chance to be a missionary without ever leaving the country.

All you have to do is pack a shoebox, and from the processing center, the boxes are shipped to countries as far away as Peru.

"This is just a small amount of hope that we can give these kids that will last for a lifetime, to know that someone loves them and they are not forgotten,” Ransom said.

Organizers with Operation Christmas Child said that on a daily basis volunteers typically pack 150,000 shoebox gifts.

The shoeboxes will then be given to children in more than 150 nations worldwide.

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