Operation Christmas Child hopes to distribute gift-filled shoeboxes to nearly 13 million children

Volunteers are preparing to open drop-off locations in Hawaiʻi for Operation Christmas Child, an annual holiday program that collects gifts to pack shoeboxes for children worldwide.

Nearly 5,000 drop-off locations will open across the country during National Collection Week, Nov. 16-23. Each location will collect toys, school supplies, and personal care items to fill shoeboxes for children in need.

For more than 30 years, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered gift-filled shoeboxes in areas affected by war, poverty, disease and disaster. According to a news release, the Samaritan’s Purse project hopes to reach 12.8 million children this Christmas with help from local churches.

“I’ve delivered these boxes around the world, and I never get tired of seeing the joy that they bring—even in the midst of disasters, war, and poverty,” said Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham in the release.

Since its creation in 1993, the project has distributed shoeboxes to more than 244 million children in 175 countries and territories.

For more information or to find a drop-off location and hours of operation, visit www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/drop-off-locations.