One Less $40 Christmas Present

What's your Christmas budget this year? How much do you think your friends and family will spend on you this year? Could you do without giving/getting one $40 Christmas present?

I've always heard about Operation Christmas Child. From time to time I would pack a shoebox. If you aren't familiar with Operation Christmas Child, it's a ministry through Samaritan's Purse. You place things like hygiene items, school supplies, and small toys in a shoebox and it's Christmas for a child in another country. This year I am actually working with the shoebox promotion and collection team. As part of that I've learned a lot more about what those shoeboxes can do.

So where does the $40 come from? Samritan's Purse asks for $7 donation with each box to help with processing and shipping. That leaves $33 which can make one bang-up shoebox. One thing we've been doing at our church this year is packing boxes and selling them to people who want to donate a shoebox but either don't have time or feel too intimidated to pack one themselves. Every box I've packed falls between $30 and $40 after the shipping donation.

So maybe this year instead of buying a pair of shoes you pack a shoebox for a kid in another country. It just might change their life.

To learn more about Operation Christmas Child, go to http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/. Deadlines for donations are coming up soon. Check the website to find out where you can drop off your shoebox.