Nov 05 2008
Give a Child a Christmas Present — It Might Be His First One
Last year I participated in “Operation Christmas Child,” a program that gives gifts to children in need around the world. It was a wonderful, and easy, program in which to participate. Who doesn’t love giving to a child? Seeing his or her eyes light up when he or she opens the box. That’s the gift for the giver.
Although you don’t get to see the recipient directly, you can imagine a child in another country opening a shoebox full of candies, crayons, books and maybe a teddy bear or stuffed animal. Toys they’ve never seen before. Many of the children who receive one of these special boxes may have never received a Christmas present before.
My family packed one box for a pre-school age girl and one for a boy last year. We’ll do the same this year. I’ll get my son involved this year to pick out the small gifts to go inside the box, we’ll pack it together and take it to our local drop off location.
National collection week is November 17-24 where all the boxes will be picked up from the local drop off locations, hauled in trucks and then sent to the countries so the children can receive the presents in time for the holiday.
It’s a great family project and you’ll feel great about giving.
Related:
- Pack a shoebox.
- Find a drop off location near you.
- Donate online.
- Read what former President Clinton says about Operation Christmas Child.
