Volunteer Year-Round

Gospel Opportunities in 100+ Countries

Share the Good News of Jesus Christ in more than 100 countries by volunteering with Operation Christmas Child. Samaritan's Purse collects, processes, and sends gift-filled shoeboxes generously packed by individuals like you, along with Gospel booklets in nearly 100 languages, to ministry partners around the world.
Children + Families

Many shoebox recipients participate in our follow-up discipleship program, The Greatest Journey. Through the 12-lesson Bible-based series, millions of children have decided to follow Christ. In many cases, family members are drawn to faith in Jesus through the testimony of the boys and girls.
Worldwide Network

More than 10,000 volunteers in the United States and 10 other countries serve on teams in their local communities to promote the ministry and collect shoebox gifts.
Unique Fit

Find a role suited to your unique gifts and receive exclusive training, online courses, and other resources to help you succeed. What skills has God given you? Recruiting and leading? Cultivating relationships and equipping people? Organizing details and event planning? Facilitating prayer times?

Volunteer Year-Round with Operation Christmas Child

Join a local team to promote Operation Christmas Child in your community all year long! Volunteers serve year-round to recruit and train participants, as well as to coordinate the collection of shoebox gifts. This requires leaders and prayer warriors, people with skills in logistics and administration, and those with the gift of communicating. Find out how you can use your God-given talents in this effort to lead children, families, and communities around the world to the Greatest Gift, the Lord Jesus Christ.

“We depend on an army of Samaritan's Purse volunteers to carry out the Great Commission mission of our Operation Christmas Child project.”

Franklin Graham

Operation Christmas Child Year-Round Volunteers talking on couch.

How do you fit into Operation Christmas Child?

Select the option that best suits you.

Leadership Volunteers

Leadership volunteers build local teams through:

Recruiting, selecting, training, and leading volunteers.
Shepherding and rallying team members.
Vision casting and coordinating team operations.

Volunteer

“In a leadership role, I support and develop other leaders—building up team members that all work together. Leadership team members are teachers, trainers, and encouragers, not only of volunteers as they set their plans and goals but of them as they grow spiritually. This role isn't all about checklists. It's relational and about the spiritual development of the team.”

Karla SunderlinRegional Area Coordinator

Church Relations Volunteers

Church Relations volunteers form relationships with local Christian congregations to:

Inspire them to catch the Great Commission vision of Operation Christmas Child to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
Mobilize and equip them to participate or increase their participation in the project.
Encourage them to use the project as a way to share the Gospel locally as they promote community shoebox packing involvement.

Volunteer

“Church Relations volunteers contact churches to encourage them to participate in Operation Christmas Child. You are giving churches someone to call if they have questions or need materials to help them promote shoebox packing. That means building a rapport with church personnel. It takes someone who is patient, enthusiastic, and persistent—keeping in time with God, who is the One who can open doors.”

Yaricsa Davila Church Relations Team Member

Logistics Volunteers

Logistics volunteers and Drop-off Locations work together to:

Support and expand shoebox gift collection in their communities.
Ensure an inviting and efficient collection of shoebox gifts that serves as a Gospel witness to the community.
Assist in goal development and growth planning for area shoebox collection efforts.

Volunteer

“Logistics is bringing a group of people together to distribute shoeboxes around the world. My job is to get the shoeboxes safely from here to the processing center in a timely manner. I make sure we have accurate counts. The more detailed we are here makes everything else flow easier.”

Bobby Babuca Logistics Coordinator

Prayer Team Volunteers

Prayer Team volunteers lead in prayer and encourage local individuals, churches, and groups to provide intercessory prayer through:

Recruiting local prayer team members and enlisting local church support.
Distributing ministry prayer requests among the team and other area prayer partners.
Sharing prayer needs and promoting participation at community events, shoebox drop-off locations, churches, and other local gatherings.

Volunteer

“Prayer Coordinators have a particular heart for prayer. They are willing to spend time praying and encouraging others to pray. You pray that God will touch hearts and move people. Prayer is always the most important thing we can do, the foundation of everything we do.”

Julyn Francis-Liburd Prayer Coordinator

Administrative Support Volunteers

Administrative Support volunteers use their organizational skills to:

Manage data and resources for an Area Team.
Field local inquiries, connecting people to the appropriate team members and project resources.
Organize and update Area Team information, including meeting minutes, team rosters, and local volunteer contacts.

Volunteer

“I love to organize things. I love filling in spreadsheets and sharing information. It helps me see the larger picture. If you have a natural inclination toward detail and working computer skills, this role might be for you. It's also about relationship building and encouraging people. The best part? Watching God work through it all.”

Tessa Clark Administrative Support Volunteer

Community Relations Volunteers

Community Relations volunteers are ambassadors for Operation Christmas Child in their communities to:

Engage and equip businesses and civic organizations to become actively involved in the project.
Speak to community groups about the project.
Host or participate in events to spread the word about Operation Christmas Child.

Volunteer

“We share the Gospel with businesses to make sure they're part of what the mission is, that their goal is to get others vested in Operation Christmas Child and ultimately in God. It's one relationship built on another relationship.”

Kathie Tisher Community Relations Coordinator

Media Support Volunteers

Media Support volunteers promote the message of Operation Christmas Child in their communities by:

Publicizing the ministry through local print and radio outlets.
Sharing stories of local involvement and coordinating area media coverage of them.
Providing promotional resources to encourage community participation in the project.

Volunteer

“You're enabling Operation Christmas Child to be seen by people when it goes on social media or on the radio. You're getting to talk to people who otherwise wouldn't have known.”

Daleen Cowgar Media Support Team Member

Student Relations Volunteers

Student Relations volunteers engage young people to participate in the project through:

Speaking to local schools, universities, and student organizations about how to be involved in Operation Christmas Child.
Coordinating local student-focused project events such as ministry fairs, multimedia presentations, and packing parties.
Encouraging local campuses, organizations, and businesses to partner with students in shoebox packing efforts.

Volunteer

“I get to go and interact with teenagers about Gospel opportunities, about what packing shoeboxes means. The most exciting part for me is getting young people involved. It's about going out and getting them pumped up about what they can involve their friends with, leading and guiding them to build their own teams and groups.”

Tracy Erb Student Relations Coordinator

Frequently Asked Questions

What would I be doing as a year-round volunteer?

As a year-round volunteer, you would join a worldwide network of people passionate about sharing the Gospel with children and their families. There are a variety of roles available that do anything from recruiting and developing local teams to cultivating relationships with local churches.

What skills are required for these roles?

What unique skills or gifts has God given you? Recruiting and leading? Check out our Leadership roles. Cultivating relationships and equipping people? Investigate opportunities in Church Relations. Running a missional and efficient Drop-off Location? Look into Logistics. Interceding locally and worldwide? Maybe our Prayer Team is a good fit for you. Each role highlights distinctive skills, and every Operation Christmas Child volunteer is fully equipped and trained for their specific role when they come on board. Online training and dynamic resources will prepare and support you in your role.

Where is this volunteer opportunity located?

You can serve with Operation Christmas Child wherever you are, since we have local volunteer Area Teams in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Once you apply and progress through the interview process, we will connect you with your local Area Team to serve with like-minded Christians in your community.

Can I do this if I work full time?

We have year-round volunteers in all seasons of life! Our diverse volunteer base includes retirees, grandparents, stay-at-home parents, and students, but there is plenty of room for individuals who work full time with busy family schedules, too. We offer flexibility to serve in your role on a schedule that works for you. Our teams work hard and set big goals. We trust God and see Him work in powerful ways through the faithfulness of volunteers. Don't let the time commitment keep you from exploring this opportunity.

Can I do this if I don't have any leadership experience?

Every Operation Christmas Child volunteer is fully equipped and trained for their role when they come on board. Dynamic resources, exclusive conferences, and online training specific to your role will be made available to you. We believe that God uniquely gifts and prepares those He calls to ministry. You also serve with a local Area Team, so you have a built-in support system to encourage you in your work!

Volunteer Year-Round

Gospel Opportunities in 100+ Countries

Children + Families

Worldwide Network

Unique Fit

Volunteer Year-Round with Operation Christmas Child

How do you fit into Operation Christmas Child?

Select the option that best suits you.

Frequently Asked Questions

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