Pack a Shoebox, Impact a Life: 30 Day Giving Week 2
This week starts Week 2 of The 30 Day Giving Challenge. I was a little down about my efforts on Week 1, but I have high hopes for this week! Part of this week’s giving challenge for our family will involve our family packing shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. It’s something that’s been on my heart to do for several years, but I’ve missed the deadline or “gotten too busy” to put the minimal effort required into packing a box.
The boys are the perfect age to get involved this year and to begin teaching them how a small sacrifice can make an incredible impact on another child’s life (or four lives) around the globe. It’s such a wonderful lesson in how a simple gift can have the power to change a life. The shoebox is only the beginning. It’s the tangible part of the equation, but Samaritan’s Purse also shares with them the priceless gift of the gospel.
You’ll want to check out this video to see the impact that Operation Christmas Child is having around the world. It gave me all the goose bumps, smiles, and motivation I needed to get these boxes packed this week!
Need to find out “How to Pack a Shoebox”? The Operation Christmas Child Website has you covered.
Want some budget-friendly ideas for things in include in your shoebox(es)? My friend Clair from Mummy Deals has loads!
Want to be inspired further? Read my friend Amanda’s post and watch her video she made with her kids over at Impress Your Kids.
So pack a shoebox with toys, treats, supplies and HOPE this Christmas season!
PS I will be posting another 30 Day Giving Challenge Giveaway, as well as announcing winners for the Tommy Nelson and Inspire4Less giveaways very soon!
Operation Christmas Child is something that we have done for years as a family and now my teens take their own money to make one of their own
Awww, thanks for the link, Jen!
I was just about to say—I think you could win the ShoeTube contest if you made a video of your sweet boys packing 4 identical boxes…#justsayin’.
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Seriously, how cute would that be?!!!!
I’m packing a shoebox too. I’ve been collecting for months so I have a lot of extras to tuck in many boxes our Fellowship of Christian Athletes kids are putting together.
We love packing our box for Operation Christmas Child. I also really like the tracking feature that was added last year. If you use the samaritans purse website to make your donation to help with shipping costs you can print out a label with a barcode to place on your box. It is tracked and you get an e-mail later on telling you to which country your box went. Ours went to Benin last year. It was fun for the kids to look it up on the map. 🙂
We are doing this with our boys this week, too. I ALWAYS miss the deadline! I haven’t done this in 5 years. So inspired. Things have changed a bit, and I am so glad to be able to follow our shoe box online now!
We are having an Operation Christmas Child birthday party for my birthday this Saturday. http://houseofhills.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/happy-birthday-to-me/ My princess is getting SO excited about it. Not sure how many people are coming, but it will be fun no matter what!
Isn’t that video AWESOME!? I have to brag on my friends at North Point. They worked SO hard on it. They are an amazing group of giving folks. And that song, it’s on the North Point Christmas CD, which I will most likely be giving away sometime soon. Just a heads up!
I am also packing a shoebox this year. I hope to make it a tradition every year (just like we did when I was growing up) and include my daughter when she’s a bit older. Thanks for shining a light on this amazing organization :). God bless.
YAY!! I just filled my boxes this weekend. 😀
We LOVE OCC at our house…. and I LOVED the link to the budget-friendly ideas! Awesome! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
We love OCC! We’ve done it for the last few years and you are right – age 3 or 4 is the perfect age to start something like this. What a great way to teach the kids about love, justice, sacrifice and giving. 🙂
Love Operation CHRISTmas Child! I haven’t done it in years though, as the churches we have been going to aren’t involved like the one we used to do it with. I need to make apoint to do it anyway though. Thanks for the great idea! 🙂