About OCC

The Journey of a ShoeboxHow To Do A ShoeboxWhere to Take Your ShoeboxesWhere Your Shoeboxes GoShoebox StoriesThank You For 2011Frequently Asked QuestionsAfricaCentral AsiaEastern EuropeOur PartnersLocal Events

Who is behind Operation Christmas Child?

• Operation Christmas Child (OCC) is an initiative of Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian relief and development charity working amongst communities in need in 18 countries across Africa, Eastern Europe and Central Asia.  Find out more about us at www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/who-we-are

Do you open my box before it gets to the child?

• Yes.  All boxes need to be checked by a volunteer at one of our warehouses in order to ensure the contents are appropriate and suitable for customs purposes in the receiving country.  We then seal the boxes, which are next opened by the receiving child.
  

Is it true that shoeboxes cannot include any religious items?

• You will note that religious items are not on our suggested list of gifts to put into a shoebox, as we want to be sensitive to the indigenous culture where shoeboxes are distributed and we also want to place an emphasis on education and fun.  However, we would welcome appropriate items such as Christmas cards or Christmas colouring books.

I’ve heard that you put Christian literature into the shoeboxes before they are shipped. Is that true?

• No.  We have never put Christian literature into shoeboxes before they are shipped, nor do we ever intend to do so.

Is Christian literature sometimes distributed with the shoebox?

• Yes, where appropriate we are pleased to be able to provide literature.  A local church or Christian partner distributing the shoeboxes may issue a free copy of a Christian booklet, The Greatest Gift of All, which contains Bible stories, including an explanation of the true meaning of Christmas.  No-one is obliged to take this booklet.  It is given to a child with their shoebox, not inside it; the only person opening shoeboxes after UK warehouse checks are completed is the child.

How are the shoeboxes distributed within a given country?

• We work with local partners – including churches, schools, orphanages and other non-governmental organisations – to identify some of the neediest children in a given country who are to receive these shoeboxes.  These local partners then arrange distributions, where shoeboxes are handed out to the children they have identified.

How can I go to help distribute the boxes overseas?

• Shoeboxes are distributed by our overseas partners who know the language and territory and they do not require help with distribution. However, every year, we do have opportunities for people to go on Operation Christmas Child Discovery teams - details on our website.

Do you require the children receiving shoeboxes to be Christians?

• No.  OCC is open to people from all walks of life, faith, race and ethnic background, at both giving and receiving ends.  Shoeboxes are given to children who are victims of poverty, war, disease or natural disaster on the basis of need alone.  At no time is a receiving child required to become a Christian, sign a pledge, pray a prayer or attend Bible classes; their shoebox is an unconditional gift from someone who cares about their plight. The whole process of how a shoebox is distributed is explained here (link to Journey of a shoebox), including how local churches and Christian partners work with children all year round on innovative humanitarian programmes and with The Greatest Journey (www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/the-greatest-journey).

How do you use the £2.50 donation for each shoebox?

• Your donation is essential to making OCC happen.  The majority of funds raised through donations are used directly to support the work of OCC – including transportation, warehouses, communication and administration, both here in the UK and for our partners in the destination countries.  Any surplus income is used to fund other overseas activities of Samaritan’s Purse, which often focus on meeting the needs of children and families in the places where shoeboxes have been distributed.

What is the income generated through Operation Christmas Child?

• As part of our financial reporting responsibility, we are required to report both voluntary donations and ‘Gifts in Kind’, with the latter being the shoeboxes (and their contents) given to Samaritan’s Purse during the annual OCC campaign. In 2010, the value of the gifts sent abroad as part of OCC was estimated to total £17.7M while actual voluntary donations to Samaritan’s Purse from all its activities totalled £4.4M