Local YMCA’s Begin Operation Christmas Child

operation christmas child

Join the YMCA in sharing joy and hope with underprivileged children all over the world by sending a shoe box full of gifts through Operation Christmas Child.

The mission of Operation Christmas Child, a Samaritan’s Purse initiative, is “to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to needy children around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.”

Pick up an Operation Christmas Child shoe box at your local YMCA today, and bring it back filled with gifts the week of November 18-20. The shoe box could go as far as Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East, Central America or South America. Since this ministry began in 1993, more than 103 million children have been served by Operation Christmas Child.

To get started, pick up an Operation Christmas Child box at your local Y or build a shoe box online through the Samaritans Purse website.

How do I pack a shoe box? 
1. Indicate if your gift is for a girl or boy and what age range on the label.

2. Pack your shoe box full of toys, school supplies and hygiene items. View a list of gift ideas and what not to pack here.
3. Donate $7  to cover international shipping costs online to get a customized label that will allow you to track your shoe box across the world. (You may also include cash in an envelope in the box.)
4. Secure your box with a rubber band. Do not tape it shut, so that the Operation Christmas Child volunteers can review your box’s contents and add the word of God to your box.

The boxes can be dropped off at any YMCA of Middle Tennessee location or other designated drop-off locations. Boxes will not be accepted at YMCA centers after Friday, November 20. If the deadline is missed, participants still have the chance to take boxes to one of the other drop-off locations until November 23. Trucks pull away from Nashville on the evening of November 23. To ship the boxes after November 23, please mail it to:

Samaritan’s Purse
801 Bamboo Road
Boone, NC 28607

For more questions or concerns, contact Chaplain Stacey Buford at [email protected].

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