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
Press Release Operation Christmas Child November 14, 2022
DROP-OFF SITES OPEN FOR OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD Boone, N.C.—As the Thanksgiving season approaches, many families and children are giving thanks and giving back—to children in need around the world through Operation Christmas Child. Shoebox gifts prepared by generous donors and filled with toys, hygiene items, and school supplies may be dropped off now during National…
Operation Christmas Child
Shoebox Gift Distribution Brings New Life, New Ministry in Ecuador
Jamyleth’s life changed for good when she was an 8-year-old girl living on a farm in Riobamba, Ecuador. It was then she received a gift-filled Operation Christmas Child shoebox. “I was very excited,” Jamyleth, now 22, recalls. “I had received presents from my parents before, but nothing like the shoebox. My favorite thing in the…
Operation Christmas Child
Press Release Operation Christmas Child January 08-07-23
Simple School Supplies Provide Life-Changing Opportunities For Children Overseas BOONE, N.C.—As the school year approaches, many families are not only shopping for school supplies for their own children, but also for boys and girls in need around the world. Shoebox packers are making use of back-to-school prices by purchasing gifts and supplies like pencils, notebooks,…
Health & Medical Ministries
Content with Little and with Much
The cesarean section was almost complete when the room went dark. Dr. Claudiu Cimpean, a visiting general surgeon from North Carolina, was assisting another surgeon with the operation. It was his first week as a volunteer at Macha Mission Hospital, a remote medical post in southern Zambia. Fortunately, they had delivered the baby a few…
Operation Christmas Child
Press Release Operation Christmas Child Seasonal Job and Volunteer Opportunities 10-10-23
Seasonal Job and Volunteer Opportunities Available at Operation Christmas Child Processing Centers BOONE, N.C.—Boone, North Carolina is home to one of eight Processing Centers for Operation Christmas Child, a project of the international Christian relief organization Samaritan's Purse, that sends millions of Christmas gifts to children in need around the world. Right now, Operation Christmas…
Our Ministry
Anti Human Trafficking Landing Page
Help Prevent Human Trafficking Human Trafficking/Exploitation 013964 $ Give Samaritan's Purse works in Asia, South America, and Africa to help protect those who are most vulnerable to trafficking and slavery. Stay informed about our work. Sign up for email updates Around the globe, vulnerable people are targeted by traffickers every day. They are promised bright…
Operation Christmas Child
Seeing with New Eyes
In many parts of Togo to be born blind is to be born cursed. Families and communities superstitiously fear the disability. Annani, who is visually impaired rather than totally blind, was nevertheless rejected by his father and scorned by teachers and classmates. In the latter case, he was shamed because he couldn’t see the blackboard…
Operation Christmas Child
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,…
Operation Christmas Child
Shoebox Gifts Remind Mexico’s Children that God Is Near
Esmeralda startled her daughter Fernanda awake as Hurricane Otis roared over their town just outside of Acapulco. Gentle words did little to sooth the 10-year-old’s fears as she saw the terror in her mother’s face, especially as the sheet metal roof peeled away. “I told them, ‘We’re going to stay here and nothing’s going to…
