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Update: 3.23.2022
Operation Christmas Child is a hands-on way for you to bless children in need across the world by filling giftboxes with toys, hygiene items, school supplies and fun gifts. We collect the boxes and distribute them in the name of Jesus Christ to children living in vulnerable situations.
The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
In the summer of 1993, Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham received a call from a man in England asking if he’d be willing to fill shoeboxes with gifts for children in war-torn Bosnia. Franklin agreed, but figured Christmas was months away. He forgot about the promise until he received a call back around Thanksgiving asking about the gifts.
Franklin asked his friend the late Pastor Ross Rhoads of Calvary Church of Charlotte to see if he could help with the need. A Sunday shortly afterward, Pastor Rhoads demonstrated for his congregation how to fill a shoebox with simple gifts and encouraged them to include a letter to the child as well. Within weeks, the church had 11,000 shoeboxes lining their hallways.
Due to their generosity and additional gifts from Canada, Samaritan’s Purse sent 28,000 shoebox gifts to children in the Balkans that Christmas.
Every year since, Samaritan’s Purse has collected shoebox gifts filled with toys, school supplies, and hygiene items for children around the world. Since 1993, more than 186 million children in more than 160 countries and territories have received an Operation Christmas Child shoebox. The project delivers not only the joy of what, for many kids, is their first gift ever, but also gives them a tangible expression of God’s love.
Tens of thousands of volunteers from local churches around the world partner with us to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ at festive outreach events where children are surprised with these shoebox gifts.
Find a shoebox sized gift box. You can pick up your OCC gift box from your participating church or group. You can also order it online.
Decide if your gift is for a girl or boy and their age category: 2-4, 5-9, 10-14 yrs old.
*If you're using a gift box that doesn't have a pre-printed label, click below to download & print a boy/girl label
Select an attention-getting “WOW” item, such as a doll, soccer ball with pump, or stuffed animal. Pack full with other toys, hygiene items, and school supplies.
Take your filled gift box to a participating church or group, a local drop-off location, or return it by mail during National Collection Week, the third week of November.
A Donation of 20,000KRW per box is critical to cover shipping, discipleship material and other project costs. If you haven’t already, you can give online.
Most importantly, pray for the child who will receive the gift box and include a personal note and photo.
Operation Christmas Child® – Good News. Great Joy.
Every box is an opportunity to reach a child with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
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By serving year-round or seasonally with Samaritan’s Purse through Operation Christmas Child, you will be a part of proclaiming the Gospel in more than 100 countries.
Before the millions of gift boxes collected each year can bring hope and joy to children around the world, each one has to be carefully inspected and made ready for international shipment by volunteers like you. Tens of thousands of volunteers serve annually at gift box processing centers across the world. Whether you’re interested in serving as an individual or with a group of any size, sign up now to have a direct part in blessing children overseas with the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
Processing center volunteer begins in the beginning of December of every year. If you are interested in volunteering at the Processing Center, you can sign up here. Group volunteering of more than 20 people, send us an email at [email protected]
Samaritan's Purse Korea is preparing a variety of year round OCC volunteer opportunities involving church mobilization, community mobilization, logistics planning, media support, and prayer.
For those who are interested, we will inform you of the news through the Samaritan's Purse Korea Newsletter. For those who want to receive news about the Samaritan's Purse Korea ministry and volunteer opportunities, please sign up for the newsletter.
Please consider serving in one of the following roles below
Our leadership roles focus on building teams of volunteers through recruiting, selecting, equipping, leading, and developing in order to multiply the impact of Operation Christmas Child around the world.
As a Church Relations team member, build and cultivate relationships with local Christian churches and work to mobilize, equip, and encourage churches in your community to share the hope of Jesus Christ and fulfill the Great Commission through Operation Christmas Child.
As part of the Community Relations team, use your gifts as an ambassador in your community–engage, mobilize, and equip groups, businesses, and civic organizations to become actively involved in sharing the hope of Jesus Christ through Operation Christmas Child.
This position utilizes the gifts of organization, planning, and hospitality to welcome and host shoebox contributors at local collection sites. This opportunity allows you to mobilize short-term volunteers and coordinate the shoebox collection at your church as a drop-off location.
Media Support volunteers are the voice for Operation Christmas Child in the local community. In this role, you have the opportunity to use the power of your own voice, pen, or personality to promote the ministry through local print, radio, and television outlets.
The power of prayer is a vital part of all we do at Operation Christmas Child. On the Prayer team, you get to provide consistent intercessory prayer support for all areas of ministry for your local Area Team, and all areas of Operation Christmas Child activity.
As we discover how God will work through these shoeboxes, may we always keep our eyes on Him. Prayer is another important way to partner with OCC and be a part of the ministry.
Dr. Billy Graham, renowned evangelist and the father of Franklin Graham, was once asked by a young evangelist,
“What are the most important steps for a successful ministry?”
Dr. Graham’s replied: “There were three things that mattered most,”
“Prayer, Prayer And Prayer.”
Prayer is our best weapon of offense and defense, and our ministry begin and end with prayer. Join us as we ask for God’s hand on all aspects of Operation Christmas Child.
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”
Philippians 4:6 NKJV
Please pray that Operation Christmas Child may become a missional opportunity for many Korean churches.
Please pray for the Korean churches involved in Operation Christmas Child that they would find joy and become strengthened as a community as they partner for the Great Commission.
Pray that God will raise up next generation leaders who are keen to serve Him and further His kingdom through the ministry of Operation Christmas Child.
Pray for safety and protection for the numerous volunteers who help collect, transport, and process each OCC gift box
Pray that God will meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the children who receive OCC gift boxes and their families who are living in desperate circumstances, suffering from poverty, sickness, war, or the effects of natural disaster.
Pray for the hundreds of international volunteers who receive and distribute the gift boxes.
Pray that the OCC gift boxes are an effective ministry tool that opens many doors in countries that are not receptive to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Pray for the implementation of the follow-up discipleship program, The Greatest Journey, that it would open up the hearts of many to receive God’s love and the Good News of Jesus Christ.
With the ongoing challenges brought by COVID-19, please pray for safety and protection of the children and staff involved in distributing the OCC gift boxes.
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NKJV
Please refer to our social media channels for updates.
· Instagram: @sp_kor
· Youtube: youtube.com/samaritanspurse.or.kr
Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international relief organization. Our mission is to provide local partners around the world with shoeboxes filled with small toys, hygiene items, and school supplies as a means of reaching out to children in their own communities with the Good News of Jesus Christ. We ship these simple gifts overseas to children affected by war, poverty, natural disaster, famine, and disease; and to children living on Native American reservations in the U.S.
The program was started in the United Kingdom in 1990 by Dave and Jill Cooke. Three years after this beginning, the Wales-based shoebox gift project merged in a partnership with Samaritan’s Purse, allowing us to share 20 years of expertise in relief and aid work with the project, and expand the reach of the shoebox gifts to more than 28,000 children that year. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has delivered gift-filled shoeboxes to over 198 million children in more than 100 countries.
Everything you need to learn how to pack a shoebox gift can be found here.
You can use any shoebox, cardboard or plastic. Operation Christmas Child also has red-and-green boxes that are also available to order now.
Countries vary from year to year. In the year 2021, we sent gift boxes to Mongolia and Gabon. In 2022, we plan to also send to Ukraine.
If you prefer not to physically pack an OCC Gift box, you can fund a gift box online. By making a donation of 50,000 KRW you can choose the age and gender of the child and we will pack it for you. You can access “Fund an OCC Gift Box” here.
If you are participating through your local church, please return your gift to your local church. Otherwise, please post your filled gift box to the location to be updated on our website.
We do accept shoebox gifts at our Samaritan’s Purse Korea office year-round.
Please contact us on (02-2105-1800) to make arrangements.
Volunteers can sign- up to inspect shoeboxes and help with other needs at the processing center.
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Samaritan’s Purse Korea (614-82-03082)
CEO: Christopher James Weeks
13F, 47 Jong-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 03160
Donate to KEB HANA bank 113-910073-69404 (사마리안퍼스코리아)
Tel: 02-2105-1800
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Email: [email protected]
Samaritan’s Purse Korea – Disaster Relief
Samaritan’s Purse Korea – Disaster Relief
