Operation Christmas Child 2023 - Shoebox Appeal

Posted by R.Broad on October 23, 2023

Packing shoeboxes for the Operation Christmas Child shoebox appeal has become an important part of our ministry in recent years . This will be our 11^th year of taking part and during this time we have donated over 650 shoebox gifts.  In the last 3 years, we donated about 60 boxes in each; in 2019 we gave 100! 

For a Video of the impact these shoeboxes make please click HERE  https://youtu.be/Bh479DyjRwc 

A shoebox full of gifts from donations of £20 will bring a smile to children who don’t have much. Last year OCC’s goal was to send two-thirds of shoeboxes from the UK to Ukraine or the neighbouring countries like Moldova and Romania that are hosting many Ukrainian refugee families. Some from All Saints went to Montenegro. OCC sends shoeboxes to over 100 countries.

WAYS TO DONATE...

We plan to follow the same model as last year. There are 3 ways that you can contribute:

Shoebox Online - you can select your gifts online and Operation Christmas Child will pack and send your shoebox for you.

We have our own page this year so we can track how many boxes we send. Click on this link https://shoeboxonline.samaritans-purse.org.uk/goal-pages/18697050 (or copy the address into your browser) to pack a shoebox or go to  https://www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/ for more information.  It costs £20.

Donation –If you’re not keen on the online option, you can make a monetary contribution.  You can do this by making an online bank transfer or writing a cheque to the church - or by giving cash.  Cheques or cash can be left in the small box for this purpose at the back of church – or give them directly to Jenny.  If you can donate £20, the cost of a full shoebox, that would be great, but smaller donations are gratefully received too.  Please mark any donations clearly as being for the ‘Shoebox appeal’.

Your own shoebox –You could pack your own complete shoebox.  Some of you have done this previously.  Go to  https://www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/ and choose ‘How to pack a shoebox’ for more information.  As you may remember, there are some items not allowed and these are listed on the website – and it may give you some inspiration too! The nearest drop off point is Braywick Nurseries, 41 Braywick Rd, Maidenhead SL6 1DX.  This will be open from 13^th – 20^th November.  Please don’t bring your shoeboxes to the church.

A reminder of the project

There are a number of videos on the Samaritan’s Purse website which give stories about the children who receive the boxes, but here is my favourite.  You may remember it, as we’ve shown in several times in church.

WOW! video https://youtu.be/i7g4C4k7UTw

A simple heartfelt gift, packed with love and fuelled by prayer can mean so much to a child and their family – and enables us to share God’s love and bring joy to children around the world. 

We hope that you can support this project again this year – and please let me know if you send a box online or drop one off, so I can let you all know the number of boxes we donate.

If you have any questions, please contact Jenny at jwilks@jwa-consultancy.co.uk.

FOR DOWNLOADABLE INFORMATION, INCLUDING HOW TO DONATE - PLEASE CLICK HERE

The top picture above came with thanks from past recipients of shoeboxes from All Saints, from:-

Apostle T. Garreston Saydee
Senior Pastor
Christ International Church-CIC
Upper Caldwell, Republic of Liberia (West Africa)

Who received shoeboxes and sent this message to the congregation of All Saints:-

Thanks to the Leadership and entire membership of All Saints Church for the wonderful Christmas Gifts you sent to the Children of Christ International Church through Samaritan's Purse (Operation Christmas Child).

More information about Operation Christmas Child can be seen on the Samaritans Purse website here.