Church Engagement
Official Statement on Mansa, Zambia
A blog that was published in 2017 has recirculated stating that in a province in Zambia, pastors were charged money for Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. We promptly investigated and were disappointed to find that this incident was true. We have made changes in our global national training program to emphasize that this cannot happen. Shoebox…
Franklin Graham Celebrates 25 Years of Operation Christmas Child at Charlotte Event
Franklin Graham, along with several hundred enthusiastic volunteers from across the country, celebrated Operation Christmas Child’s 25th year of sending shoeboxes to children in need with an energetic, praise-filled ceremony on Nov. 29. The event was held at the Samaritan’s Purse Charlotte Processing Center. “We want to dedicate these boxes to God for His glory…
Franklin Graham and Family Distribute Shoebox Gifts in Antigua
On Dec. 28-29, Franklin Graham and members of his extended family traveled to the Caribbean island of Antigua to distribute shoebox gifts to children in need. Two Operation Christmas Child outreach events took place on Friday at local churches and two more occurred on Saturday, blessing a total of 450 children. The Grahams continue the…
SAMARITAN’S PURSE CELEBRATES 10.6 MILLION SHOEBOX GIFTS COLLECTED FOR CHILDREN IN NEED
Year-round Volunteer: Building Church Partners
Going from Farm to Market
Grown in the high altitudes and warm climates of South America, goldenberries are small, round fruits that can taste either tart or sweet. Learning how to plant and harvest these husk-encased yellow berries in the mountains of Bolivia has made the difference between husbands and fathers needing to seek out work far from home to…
Fact Sheet: Samaritan’s Purse
Colombian, Venezuelan Children Receive Shoebox Gifts at Easter
On Easter weekend, April 19-20, hundreds of children in the Colombia-Venezuela border city of Cúcuta, Colombia, heard about Jesus’ love for them through Operation Christmas Child. Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, joined one of our church partners in Cúcuta to present the Gospel and hand out Operation Christmas…
The Love Behind a Shoebox Gift Surprised a Girl in Cambodia
Boun Thorne grew up in a boat village in the Southeast Asian nation of Cambodia. In the aftermath of a terrible situation, she moved at age 10 to a safe house where she received Bible teaching and an Operation Christmas Child shoebox—her first gift ever! When Boun inquired why someone would send her a gift,…