Mariya Snizhko dreamed of becoming an artist even as she grew up in a Christian home in Ukraine. Art was a way for her to express herself and escape the various challenges in her life, which included being bullied at school. Her parents couldn’t afford basic art supplies, so Mariya prayed that God would provide…
Operation Christmas Child
VeggieTales Help Kids Learn About Giving
VeggieTales Help Kids Learn About Giving As we prepare to celebrate God’s amazing gift—the sending of His Son—Christmas is a perfect time to show His love to others. This season, Operation Christmas Child and VeggieTales are partnering together to teach kids about giving. Bob, Larry, and the rest of the veggie characters want others to…
Health & Medical Ministries
Litein Hospital, Kenya
Litein Hospital Kenya Get Started Mission Organization Africa Inland Mission (AIM)/Africa Inland Church (AIC) Profile Litein provides primary and specialist care to a catchment population of 800,000 people across six counties in the South Rift region of Kenya. A.I.C. Litein Hospital has 220 beds and a 10-bed casualty. The community of about 450 medical and…
Construction Projects
First Home Dedicated as Samaritan’s Purse Rebuilds in Mayfield
Nine months ago, on the evening of Dec. 10, 2021, Tom Woodward sat in his single-wide mobile home, listening to the news about an EF4 Tornado that had set its target on Mayfield, Kentucky. “My son called me and said ‘Are you gonna stay and ride it out or are you gonna come over here…
Operation Christmas Child
Why $10?
Why $10? A donation of $10 per shoebox gift is critical for Operation Christmas Child. It provides for: Collection After shoebox gifts are dropped off at nearly 5,000 locations around the United States each year in November, trucks transport the precious cargo to eight different processing centers. Processing Eight processing center warehouses around the country…
Operation Christmas Child
Volunteer Photos
Volunteers These photographs are available for news media outlet use in coverage of Samaritan's Purse-related stories. If your news outlet uses a photograph, please credit: “Courtesy of Samaritan's Purse.” These photographs are not for commercial use. Church members at Restauración Los Angeles pack shoebox gifts for boys and girls in need around the world. A year-round…
Operation Christmas Child
Roselyn and a Picture Book
Roselyn and a Picture Book "My life felt gray. But when my shoebox came, it was full of color." Growing up in Malawi, I loved playing make-believe. That’s what my siblings and I did because we didn’t have any dolls or toys. We would go outside after it rained and mold the clay-type soil into…
Construction Projects
Milestone for Mekoryuk
It’s never been an easy feat to construct a large building on Nunivak Island, Alaska. It still isn’t. That’s why this year’s work on the new Mekoryuk Covenant Church—which will be completed by Samaritan’s Purse volunteers over four months—is such a milestone for the Native Alaskan community. Before planes, the Bering Sea’s shallow and shifting…
Operation Christmas Child
Eswatini
Located in southern Africa, Eswatini is one of the world’s remaining absolute monarchies. Formerly Swaziland, the nation is known today as an exporter of sugar. Samaritan’s Purse began delivering Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts to children in this nation in 1999. Later in 2011, we started offering The Greatest Journey, our follow-up discipleship program designed…
Operation Christmas Child
the Pacific Islands
Many people think of the Pacific Islands as paradise, populated with luxurious hotels located oceanfront on pristine white sandy beaches. And some are. But hundreds more are home to people who struggle daily just to survive, including over half a million children. Starting in 2019, Samaritan’s Purse began distributing gift-filled shoeboxes to children who live…
