Operation Christmas Child (OCC) is an organization that sends shoeboxes full of small gifts to second and third world countries around the globe. Although this organization stretches across all of America, Stoddard County has been a major participant. Many churches, small organizations, and school clubs have taken part in packing shoe boxes.
Operation Christmas Child works through Samaritan’s Purse, a foundation that is dedicated to international relief. OCC is more than just a box full of small toys that are bought at the Dollar Store. For most kids that receive boxes, it will be their only Christmas present. OCC is also dedicated to showing children their world in a difference perspective: Jesus’ perspective. Each box will contain a small Bible or short books about Bible stories that are written in their language so that they will receive the light and love of Jesus.
Many churches throughout Bloomfield and Dexter held ‘Packing Parties’, which is when the members of the church pull together and fill boxes with small items that is a necessity or a gift for the child that will receive the box. Many of the shoeboxes are filled with personal hygiene items, shoes, shirts, toys, books, crayons, and other things that are plentiful in the United States.
OCC began in 1993 and they are thrilled to be celebrating their nineteenth year with the honor of sending out their 100-millionth shoebox. This is a great achievement because that means that 100,000,000 kids in thirty-six different countries have received the Word of God.
Living Water Worship Center in Bloomfield and St. Joe General Baptist Church in Idalia has participated in this event for many years. This year, Living Waters sent out nearly one hundred shoeboxes and they are excited to see where they end up going. St. Joe is currently preparing for the Packing Party that will be held this Sunday on November 18th. They are bringing in supplies and gathering shoeboxes so that everything will run smoothly and efficiently.
The Light House Church in Dexter had the honor of being a drop-off site, where people in the surrounding area will drop their packed boxes there so they can be distributed to a bigger packing plant in Atlanta or New York City so that they can be shipped to other places in the world. This will be the Light House’s fourth year of participating in OCC and they have sent hundreds of boxes during that time. You can pack your own personal box and drop it off at the Light House. For more information on how to pack a box or what to include, visit samaritanspurse.org.
It costs $7 to send each shoebox so many donations and hard work is required to send a large amount but any participator will agree that it is worth it. People in this area have really stepped up and reached out and the number of boxes sent each year has increased tremendously. Stoddard County is filled with people that have great compassion for charities and the astounding results of Operation Christmas Child has really proved that.
