Simply Shoeboxes is my family's journey thru packing shoeboxes with needed and fun items for kids in crisis around the world. We send thru Operation Christmas Child (OCC) each November.
Operation Christmas Child is the program that got me interested in making shoe box gifts full of necessities and niceties for those in need or crisis. "The concept of Operation Christmas Child began on 10 October 1990, when Dave and Jill Cooke of Wrexham, Wales were watching a broadcast on Romanian orphanages. They asked the question: How can we help the real victims, the children, who live in these situations day after day? They knew they could not stop the wars, but they could offer something – the gift of love. Together, they filled a convoy of nine trucks with medical supplies, food, clothing and Christmas gifts for children, and headed into Romania, which had recently been devastated by war. This was the beginning of the world’s largest children’s Christmas program."
"In 1993, Franklin Graham, International President of Samaritan’s Purse, adopted Operation Christmas Child. Since then, more than 94 million shoe boxes have been delivered to hurting children in more than 135 countries."* That first year we packed a box or two and dropped them off at a local Wendy's, the collection center in our area that year. Since then we have packed boxes all but one year that I can remember.
Between couponing, rebating and earning money online, we have been able to have more to share more. And it is my personal challenge to try and make my donations more personal, like the OCC boxes. Simply Shoeboxes will challenge me each day I visit it to bring joy into people's lives one shoe box at a time.
On my other site, Simply CVS, I often mentioned where I was donating an item I got at CVS. Many readers enjoyed those posts and some encouraged me to share more in depth about giving thru deal shopping. This is the second reason I began Simply Shoeboxes.
So thank you for stopping by today and I hope you find something that will bring joy to your life or that will encourage you in your own sharing.
Here are some links to popular posts & series here on Simply Shoeboxes:
- What is Operation Christmas Child?
- Operation Christmas Child Distribution Stories
- What to Pack in an Operation Christmas Child Shoebox
- Operation Christmas Child Packing Parties
- Fit More In an Operation Christmas Child Shoebox
- DIY Craft Tutorials for Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes
*From the OCC website.
8 comments:
You truly are an encouragement!
Thank you, Denise Marie. It is humbling to think my experiences and life can be an encouragement.
Wondering if you do kelloggs rewards or coke rewards points? I was able last year to get free water bottles during the summer with coke rewards for all my teen boy boxes, Also, gift cards with the kelloggs rewards. They're a bit easier with there free codes. Just wondering...
Great ideas! Coke we don't use, but Kellogg's might work for us -- use a few of those. Thanks for the ideas, I'll check into it.
Maybe the coke rewards if you leave a basket at work, church, school, etc. I collect from my kids sport activities and church functions. Also, I save some of my Kellogg reward codes till they have a double period. Then enter them so I get more. So easy too. Oh other thing I wanted to mention. Kohls cares program. Certain times of year their stuffies go to $3 or less online. Really cute ones last time disney animals. Kohls cash and coupons they were practically free for the taking.
Thanks again! I did go to Kellogg's and have a couple hundred points now. I had a box of crackers and they were offering an extra 100 points. Good idea to keep them until they offer extra, thanks. I did sign up for Kohl's cash -- I got some of their bears for $2.50. We don't have a Kohl's nearby so I have to order online. Oh, and on the Kellogg's--how do you find bonus codes--the kind you don't need to buy anything for?
Sometimes bonus codes come in emails or I find new ones on totallytarget.com. They post several times a month with a list of possible codes. I just type kelloggs in their search box and the different posts pop up. Handy too for no purchase codes.
Great, thanks!
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