Step One: Take Inventory of Stock on Hand ~ Organizing a Spur of the Moment OCC Packing Party

The sorting begins.

Because I collect Operation Christmas Child shoe box supplies all year long I often have an odd assortment of supplies left over that cannot make up complete boxes.  But I don't mind because I plan it that way...I then donate the leftovers to packing parties or send them to the OCC processing center to be used as fillers.  So when my daughter announced she was to quickly pull together a packing party of 100 boxes we needed to take inventory of what we had before she went shopping.

Also, my daughters are in charge of any AWANA banquets or programs throughout the year.  Whenever they need decorations for the tables they try to use things
that can be used again and again or if there is a specific theme they are to decorate with they try to find items that can double as shoe box fillers.  We had several saved up from the past year.

Things we had on hand (I am giving an estimate here, she took an exact count):

For the want of a pencil....
many children do not get an education.

• Various toys (a couple of dozen)
• Many my husband found on clearance at Dollar General when they offered 50% off all clearanced priced items.  He got a lot of 25 cent toys that way.
• Pillowcase dresses I made.
• Pencils (all we need)
• Purchased for pennies at back to school sales.
• Copy Paper (all we need)
• Purchased free after MaxPerks from Office Max.
• Notebook Paper (all we need)
• Purchased for pennies at back to school sales.
• Crayons (several packs)
• Colored Pencils (a dozen packs)
• Socks (several pairs)
• Gloves (a dozen or so pairs)
• Hats (several baseball and toboggans) 
• Scarves (36)
• Made from fleece blankets purchased at after Christmas clearance.  The blankets were already fringed--made it snappy to make them up quickly for her packing party.
• Bonus Items (enough for one a box)

  

  Giant jingle bells on ribbon as necklaces.

• Misc. Items (such as cups)
• Bracelets I made
• Jingle Bell Necklaces I made
• Candy (several handfuls left from our packing)
• Ziploc sandwich bags (partial box)
• Ivory bar soap (10)
• Washcloths (10)
• Nail Files (enough for each box)
• All gotten free over the past several years at CVS
• Nail clippers (a dozen or so)

Things Leftover from AWANA Programs

• Candy (enough for dozens of bags for the boxes)
• Whenever they need candy they choose hard candy so leftovers can be used for OCC boxes
• UPDATE 2017:  Candy no longer allowed.
• Flower Hair Clips
• Used as decorations for a beach themed banquet.
  
• Flip Flops (about three dozen)
• Used as table decorations for a beach themed banquet.
• Ziploc Bags (couple of dozen individual bags)
• Crayons--a few boxes.

After getting an accurate accounting of what was on hand, she made her shopping list, checked the list she made of the prices at various stores and then divided the shopping list among the stores.  Printed off the $5 off $30 Dollar General store coupons and left early Saturday to shop.

Follow along with our family as I share our journey of The Spur of The Moment OCC Packing Party of 2013.