Tips on Writing a Letter to Include in Your Operation Christmas Child Shoebox

An important part of packing an Operation Christmas Child shoebox is a letter to the child.  It helps make the gift more than just "things" but a reminder that they are cared about.  Some recipients are in orphanages and may have no one who "belongs" to them.  We all want to feel special and that we "belong" to someone.  So, this is a great thing to include.  And if at all possible, please include a photo.  It gives them a real connection to you, helps them picture you/know you are a real
person.  There is also the chance to hear back--I've gotten both letters and emails back from the children, so that is another incentive.  And the first letter I got back included a request for me to send a photo back, so they must really like it.

Letter's Sarah has received from her Shoebox Kids.

If you're like me, it can be hard to know what to write to a complete stranger.  I was looking online to get some ideas and didn't find much Operation Christmas Child specific.  So I decided to try to come
up with my own list of ideas and share it in case it can help someone else.

First, if you have children or want to do something simple, Samaritan's Purse offers a coloring/fill in the blank sheet you can print and use.  Here's the link for the Operation Christmas Child Coloring Sheet.

So, what to write on?  This year I made a basket of left over Christmas cards from previous years (who ever gets exactly the number they need in the boxes they buy?), and some Christmas Stationery I'd picked up over the years on after Christmas clearance and some pens, then everyone at the party can pick what they want to write on/with for each box.  The cards are great if you don't have much time, or feel like writing much, at least you can sign it an share your photo and address.

You'll probably want to include your address or email address as you may hear back from them.  My family has received mail back Zambia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Belarus as I recall and emails from South Africa and Burundi.

Hints:

Christmas Cards left from family
mailings or purchased
on clearance after Christmas.

• I try to remember to print rather than use cursive, I'm guessing that will be easier to read for people for whom English isn't their first language.
• If you include your address (see UPDATE note at bottom of this post) be sure to put USA after your zip-code, so the other country knows where to send it.
• You may wish to include envelopes in your box, although a number I got back were in actual airmail envelopes!
• But DO NOT include stamps, they can only be used in America, and only a small percentage of the boxes stay in America going to Indian reservation
• You can put your card in lose, or in an envelope, but if you use an envelope DO NOT seal it!  The boxes have to be gone through by volunteers so that they can go through customs, and having done this myself I know that we needed to check in the envelopes to be sure the donation for shipping was not in that envelope.  To help the volunteers know what the envelope is, I normally write something like "To: My new friend" or something on the outside of the envelope with the card/note in it.

Ideas of what to write, (not all in every letter, just ideas to go off of) :

• I always start with my name "Hi!  I'm Sarah"
• I packed this box/picked these items for you-hope you like them
• Some ideas from the OCC coloring sheet
• Where you live - what state, do you live in a big city or small town, etc.
• What do you like to eat/drink?
• What's your favorite game?
• What you like to do in your spare time?
• Your family-spouse, kids, etc.
• Do you have pets?

  

  Small writing tablets found after
   Christmas on clearance
  at stores like Dollar General or free in
  fund raising mailings

• Maybe mention something in the box which could help your notes be different for each child if you're packing multiple boxes
• If it  had a duck in it I might say that was my favorite when I was little
• If something is your favorite color/sport/team/game/etc.
• If I put in a puzzle I might mention my great aunts really enjoy building them
• If I did a snow theme I might mention that I like snow, but don't get much here, would like white Christmas
• ...you get the idea!
• If you're a Christian you might like to (I believe this is allowed in US Boxes only):



Colorful pens make it fun.

• Share a favorite Bible verse,
• Say "Jesus Loves You"
• You're praying for them
• Some other ideas I found around the internet
• Your nickname and job (Messages from bottles)
• "What you’re currently seeing, smelling, hearing, tasting, and feeling" (Uncustomary)

Sarah also shared on her blog how to make a stationery packet to put into a shoebox. Click image for her post.

What do you like to write in your shoebox
letters?

UPDATE:  After posting this on our Facebook Page Crafting for Shoeboxes shared the following:  "OCC in the UK advise against providing your postal address, for safety reasons. {A friend} has started putting her e-mail address on the back of her Christmas cards. She received a message containing a photo of a thank you note a boy had written to her and another one of him holding his box - she was delighted."  So this is certainly something to consider when writing your letter to include in your shoebox.

We have other posts in this series of including a letter and also receiving letters or emails back.  You can find them all here:  Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Correspondence.

Have you ever wondered which type of shoebox is best to pack in?  Read our review of shoeboxes in this post:  What Type of Shoebox to Use When Packing an Operation Christmas Child shoebox.