We are excited to be continuing Operation Christmas Child this year!
Operation Christmas Child delivers great joy and the Good News of Jesus Christ to children in need around the world through gift-filled shoeboxes. Each box packed full of quality toys, school supplies, and personal care items becomes a tangible expression of God’s immense love for the child. For many, it is their first gift ever! Delivered by our local church partners, shoebox gifts provide an opportunity to present the Gospel to boys and girls in a clear, child-friendly way.
You can learn more about this ministry at https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/
Fred and Laura Lettelier will be guiding us through the process again this year. The Letteliers have a long history with Ossipee Valley Christian School – both of their children attended OVCS from start to graduation! Both Fred and Laura have shown continued support over the years and it is a pleasure to have them support and help us with this wonderful endeavor.
International impact
Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child, the world’s largest Christmas project of its kind, has collected and delivered more than 209 million shoebox gifts to children in more than 170 countries and territories.
Shoebox gifts are collected in Australia, Austria, Canada, Finland, Germany, New Zealand, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States.
OCC organizes teams in 11 countries to assist churches, schools and other organizations to come together and pack gift boxes. Last year, three Christian Schools in Southern Maine participated, bringing in a donation of 327 gift boxes! Children in need who live in the countries of Malawi, Ecuador and the Philippines were blessed by those gifts and heard the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Over 498,000 volunteers worldwide—with nearly 200,000 of those in the U.S.—are involved in collecting, shipping and distributing shoebox gifts.
Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham. Samaritan’s Purse currently works in more than 100 countries to provide aid to victims of war, disease, disaster, poverty and famine.
Our Goals
In September, the Letteliers spoke to the teachers and students about the ministry, and explained their role in the process of packing shoeboxes. They provided take home literature for parents and students to help answer any questions and provide additional information.
Our goal is to provide at least 70 shoeboxes filled with hope and love to children round the world at Christmas time, that represents one for each student at OVCS.
How it Works
Between now and early November, students are encouraged to bring in gift items that will be part of the gift box packing event that we’ll have at the school. Gift boxes will be provided free of charge. Lists of acceptable gift items are included in the handout.
Here’s a quick overview of the process:
- Find or order a shoebox
- Get a label
- Fill your shoebox with gifts
- Pray for the child, family, and community who will receive your shoebox
- Donate $10 (for shipping and project costs)
- Drop off your shoebox during the week of Nov 13-20, 2023
You can read more about the process details here: https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/pack-a-shoe-box/
Our “Packing Party” Process
For us at OVCS, we will be doing things slightly differently, as we work together to make our impact.
We have once again set up several (labeled) large totes and a poster in our chapel room, so that contributions can be collected over the next month that will be later packed into the gift boxes. Please do not donate anything larger than the size of a shoebox, or 11 ½” x 7″ x 4 ¼”.
Participation is voluntary for this event, but family involvement is welcome, and anyone can contribute.
We will be collecting donations for the $10/box fee that is needed as well.
On Wednesday, November 15th the Letteliers will come in again to organize and oversee a “Packing Party” with students and teachers. Fred said that other family members could also be invited, so mark your calendars if you are interested!
On the day of the gift packing party at school, each student will choose the age and gender of the person that they will pack for. Recipients are divided into 3 age brackets: 2-4 years old, 5-9 years old, 10-14 years old. The student will then be given a box to pack (provided free of charge), and a ‘packing ideas’ sheet for the age and gender of the recipient. The student will also have the option of including a personal note and picture to be included in the gift box (free of charge). Younger students will be assisted by teachers or older students. Completed boxes will be collected and transported to a local Operation Christmas Child collection point.
*Gift box interior dimensions are 11½”x7″x41/4″. Please do not donate items larger than these dimensions.
The Letteliers will then be responsible for transporting all the boxes to a nearby OCC collection point for drop off.
Shoe Box Gift Ideas
*Gift box interior dimensions are 11½”x7″x41/4″. Please do not donate items larger than these dimensions.
NOTE: Gift items at school will be organized as a group collection. Students can make a bulk purchase of an item to provide for the group and get the most for their money. All items must be new.
“Wow” items like:
Soccer ball with pump, toy truck or boat, stuffed animal, musical instrument like harmonica or recorder, backpack, baseball and glove, doll (with accessories if desired).
Personal Care Items like:
Comb, hairbrush, toothbrush, washcloth, band-aids, reusable plastic containers/water bottle, small blanket, lip balm, flashlight, nail clipper, stick deodorant, compact mirror.
School Supplies:
Pencils, pencil sharpeners, erasers, colored pencils, pencil case, pens, crayons, markers, notebooks, index cards, solar powered calculator, scissors, ruler, protractor, glue stick, adhesive tape.
Clothing & Accessories:
Shirts, pants, underwear, shoes, socks, wristwatch, flip-flops, hat, scarf, mittens, sunglasses, bandana, sundress, tote bag, hair bows or ribbons, wristbands, friendship bracelet, purse, bead jewelry or bead kit.
Crafts & Activities:
Puzzles, compass, fishing kit, rope/twine, gardening kit with gloves, trowel/hand tool (no seeds), tool set, work gloves, magnets, kaleidoscope, coloring books, picture book, notebook, watercolor set, playdough, stickers, binoculars, chalkboard/chalk, building blocks, jump rope, craft items or kit, playing cards, marbles, finger puppets, sewing kit/fabric.
Toys:
Foam ball, kickball with pump, tennis ball, plastic dinosaurs, animals or action figures, small kite, etch-a-sketch, interactive toys and extra batteries, hacky sack, yo-yo, play cars/trucks/boats, small frisbee, costume items, costume jewelry.
DO NOT INCLUDE:
Candy; toothpaste; gum; used or damaged items; scary or war-related items such as toy guns, knives, or military figures; chocolate or food; seeds; fruit rolls or other fruit snacks; drink mixes (powdered or liquid); liquids or lotions; medications or vitamins; breakable items such as snow globes or glass containers; aerosol cans.
*Gift box interior dimensions are 11½”x7″x41/4″. Please do not donate items larger than these dimensions.
You Can Help!
We are excited to participate in Operation Christmas Child as a whole school and want to invite you to be involved too!
Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or would like to help us reach our goals, of bringing hope to children around the world at Christmas time, with a contribution or donation to support this ministry.