When Carol and Pat Nelson volunteer with Operation Christmas Child, they know first-hand how much each gift can mean. Twelve years ago, the Nelsons packed their first shoebox for Operation Christmas Child and sent it off with a letter and a picture. Seven months later, they received a thank-you letter written in French from a…
Operation Christmas Child
Mission and History
Mission & History Mission The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to provide God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Franklin Graham leads a team to deliver Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes to boys and girls…
Operation Christmas Child
Press Release Operation Christmas Child January 01-25-23
Samaritan's Purse Celebrates Nearly 10.6 Million Shoebox Gifts Collected for Children in Need BOONE, N.C., Jan. 25, 2023—Millions of shoebox packers shared the true meaning of Christmas with children in need this past holiday season. Generosity throughout contributed to a successful shoebox gift collection season at drop-off locations for the Samaritan's Purse project Operation Christmas…
Operation Christmas Child
Press Release: Samaritan’s Purse Celebrates 12.2 Million Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Gifts
Samaritan’s Purse Celebrates 12.2 Million Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Gifts BOONE, N.C.—Samaritan’s Purse is celebrating a successful season after collecting 12.2 million Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts in 2025, sharing the love of Jesus with children in need around the world. The milestone reflects the generosity of millions of shoebox packers helping to fill shoebox…
Operation Christmas Child
World War II Veteran Sews Hundreds of Quilts for Children’s Shoebox Gifts
Former U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Theron Jennings, 98, lives alone in a Savoy, Illinois, apartment where he sews quilts for children around the world. Since 2014, he has handmade more than 400 of these blankets, completing 160 in just the last year. Each one is lovingly packed into a shoebox gift with other toys and…
Our Ministry
Children’s Heart Project Medical Volunteer
Apply to Be a Medical Volunteer Are you a medical professional with a heart to help children in need as part of your Christian service to the Lord? We work with medical volunteers to screen, monitor, and transport children for heart procedures to a partnering pediatric hospital. Children's Heart Project offers two ways to volunteer;…
Water, Sanitation & Hygiene
Clean Water Initiatives Help Keep Children Healthy
When Than was in elementary school she had to take turns with the other children carrying water from a well about 20 minutes away. The well was the only clean water source for the school, so every week a different team of students made several trips to bring back drinking water for their classmates. Now,…
Operation Christmas Child
Friendly Competition in Oklahoma Multiplies the Impact of Operation Christmas Child Around the World
Oklahoma youngsters Ava and Sam hold a friendly competition each year to see who can pack the most Operation Christmas Child gift-filled shoeboxes. But, win or lose, their real goal is the same—to see kids all over the world come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Ava and Sam love to pack…
Operation Christmas Child
An Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Gave Hope to an Orphan in Honduras
Yuri Lopez grew up in 14 different orphanages in Honduras, after being separated from her family when she was 2 years old. Her life seemed hopeless. But when she was 6, Yuri received an Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift and “experienced hope for the very first time,” she said. “Everything in my shoebox was special,”…
Operation Christmas Child
Press Release Operation Christmas Child December 12-15-20
Operation Christmas Child Celebrates Millions of Gift-Filled Shoeboxes Amidst a Pandemic Year BOONE, N.C., Dec. 15, 2020—Despite a global pandemic, millions of shoebox gifts for the Samaritan’s Purse project Operation Christmas Child were collected the week before Thanksgiving following a curbside drop-off model at more than 4,000 locations nationwide. Creativity, determination, and faith inspired many…
