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Operation Christmas Child 2024

This Christmas at Edward Mellor, we will be supporting Samaritan’s Purse in their mission to spread festive joy to children in need around the globe. The charity is an international humanitarian aid organisation that began in 1970 and has since grown into a powerful force for good helping the most vulnerable worldwide.

Each Christmas they send shoeboxes filled with gifts to children across the globe. The project began in 1993 with an initial shipment of shoeboxes to children in the Balkans. What started as a request for a few simple gifts ended in around 28,000 shoeboxes being sent over. Since its widely successful beginnings in 1993, Operation Christmas Child has reached more than 220 million children in over 170 countries. 

This is only possible due to donations from the public. Not only is it a wonderful way to give to those less fortunate, but it’s also a great festive activity to do with friends and family; from wrapping the shoebox to picking out the gifts, it’s a fun and charitable thing to be a part of this Christmas.

Our Simple Shoebox Guide

It couldn’t be easier to get involved with our step-by-step guide!

1.       Find a Shoebox – any will do, so long as it isn’t damaged and is sturdy enough to deliver your presents to its excited recipient!
2.       Decorate Your Shoebox – this is a great way to get into the Christmas cheer, especially if you are doing it with children. Choose your favourite festive wrapping paper and cover the box and lid separately.
3.       Label – mark whether the box is for a boy or girl and which age category it is suitable for. The options are ages 2-4 years, 5-9 years and 10-14 years.
4.       Picking the Gifts – now it’s time for the best part; filling the shoebox with presents! However, please make sure to check out Samaritan Purse’s Guidelines to make sure your presents will be accepted.
5.       Drop Off – this is the final step and can be done at any of our Edward Mellor Branch locations during National Collection Week between the 11th-18th of November. Click here to find your nearest branch.

We can’t wait to see your festive shoeboxes stacking up! Each one will mean the world to a child this Christmas. We look forward to helping you bring a smile to their faces.

Gift Ideas

Get creative and make the shoebox your own with a range of different gifts! If you are struggling for ideas, here are a few options:

–          Cuddly Toy

–          Games

–          Personal Care Items

–          Accessories – such as caps, t-shirts and sunglasses 

–          School Supplies

–          Photograph/Personal Note

For a more comprehensive list, visit the Samaritans Purse website here.

Track Your Shoebox

Samaritan’s Purse operates internationally, meaning your shoebox could be gifted to a child living anywhere from Central Asia, West Africa, Europe or even the Middle East. If you want to track your parcel to discover which corner of the world it travels too, then follow these three simple steps:

1.     Donate £5 to help cover the shipping fees.
2.     You’ll receive a barcode for your shoebox.
3.     Print off the barcode and put it inside of the shoebox on top of the contents. 

At the end of January, you will receive an email with your shoebox delivery information detailing which country/territory your donation ended up in!

More Information

This is a wonderful thing to be involved in this Christmas and we hope you enjoy creating your festive shoebox as much as a child will enjoy receiving it!

For more information visit Operation Christmas Child on the link below:

Operation Christmas Child

Related Pages 

Shoebox Appeal 2023 | News Archive