BrightEyes1082
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Each year my family and I pack plastic rubbermaid shoeboxes full of
great little gifts for sweet children in developing countries. Many of
these children will be receiving their very first gift ever. It's such a
wonderful experience. The cost to pack a shoebox with the very best
is about $25-30, and there is a $7 shipping donation that you can pay
for online, and you will be given a barcode to put on your shoebox.
Then, next month, you can track online to see which country yours
went to!
I put some really heartwarming and informative videos at the bottom
of this post. Check them out! 🙂
Next week is National Collection Week, and you can click here to find
the drop-off location nearest you. My family and I won't be together until
Thanksgiving, so we usually fill our shoeboxes then, and then we mail them
to the Boone, NC center without a problem. It's a bit of an extra cost to ship
them instead of drop them off, but it's worth it to keep our family tradition
alive. 🙂
Things I personally encourage you to include:
~ a Rubbermaid or Sterilite shoebox. These are much sturdier than
cardboard and will last a very long time, not to mention they're useful.
~ a stuffed animal or soft doll. Something to hug!
~ hard candy. We usually send for the baby girl age bracket, 2-4.
Dinner or butter mints are a good option for that age since they
dissolve easily and are not so much of a choking risk as other candy.
~ another for the little ones: sippy cups and a small fleece blanket.
~ other small toys, stickers, drawing pads, crayons, markers and if
you are sending to an older child, 5-9 or 10-14, school supplies are
always a huge hit.
~ toiletries (non-liquid) like bar soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes,
socks and underwear, and sometimes I am able to squeeze in a
shirt. Garanimals from Walmart are great for this!
~ a card! I always send a Christmas card with a photo of me with my
dogs. I include my address, and sometimes you will get a thank you
letter from your child. Volunteers who hand out the gifts are there to
read things to the kids.
DO NOT PACK: liquids, food, medicine, vitamins, used items, or any
type of war or violent toys, like toy guns/knives, military figures, or
any type of action figure holding a weapon.
I hope that helps. Here is more information on how to pack a shoebox.
A few videos (embedding isn't working):
A look around the world!
Children in Nepal at high risk for human trafficking receive shoeboxes
A sweet Ukrainian little girl receives a shoebox, and is overjoyed 🙂
How to pack a shoebox
Happy little boy in Lebanon digs into his shoebox 🙂
The Power of a shoebox: Story of Operation Christmas Child
great little gifts for sweet children in developing countries. Many of
these children will be receiving their very first gift ever. It's such a
wonderful experience. The cost to pack a shoebox with the very best
is about $25-30, and there is a $7 shipping donation that you can pay
for online, and you will be given a barcode to put on your shoebox.
Then, next month, you can track online to see which country yours
went to!
I put some really heartwarming and informative videos at the bottom
of this post. Check them out! 🙂
Next week is National Collection Week, and you can click here to find
the drop-off location nearest you. My family and I won't be together until
Thanksgiving, so we usually fill our shoeboxes then, and then we mail them
to the Boone, NC center without a problem. It's a bit of an extra cost to ship
them instead of drop them off, but it's worth it to keep our family tradition
alive. 🙂
Things I personally encourage you to include:
~ a Rubbermaid or Sterilite shoebox. These are much sturdier than
cardboard and will last a very long time, not to mention they're useful.
~ a stuffed animal or soft doll. Something to hug!
~ hard candy. We usually send for the baby girl age bracket, 2-4.
Dinner or butter mints are a good option for that age since they
dissolve easily and are not so much of a choking risk as other candy.
~ another for the little ones: sippy cups and a small fleece blanket.
~ other small toys, stickers, drawing pads, crayons, markers and if
you are sending to an older child, 5-9 or 10-14, school supplies are
always a huge hit.
~ toiletries (non-liquid) like bar soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes,
socks and underwear, and sometimes I am able to squeeze in a
shirt. Garanimals from Walmart are great for this!
~ a card! I always send a Christmas card with a photo of me with my
dogs. I include my address, and sometimes you will get a thank you
letter from your child. Volunteers who hand out the gifts are there to
read things to the kids.
DO NOT PACK: liquids, food, medicine, vitamins, used items, or any
type of war or violent toys, like toy guns/knives, military figures, or
any type of action figure holding a weapon.
I hope that helps. Here is more information on how to pack a shoebox.
A few videos (embedding isn't working):
A look around the world!
Children in Nepal at high risk for human trafficking receive shoeboxes
A sweet Ukrainian little girl receives a shoebox, and is overjoyed 🙂
How to pack a shoebox
Happy little boy in Lebanon digs into his shoebox 🙂
The Power of a shoebox: Story of Operation Christmas Child
