Tis' the season! Now before you "there's no Christmas before Thanksgiving!!!" haters come out, don't be alarmed. This isn't about Santa and new ways to be hanging up Christmas decorations in your dorm. There is a reason for the season and it doesn't come wrapped up under a tree in your living room. However, that's what a lot of Christmas has turned into. So how do we take the selfishness out of the season?
From November 14-23, an incredible event is going to be taking place: Operation Christmas Child. People are able to pack shoe boxes full of items to be able to bless children across the seas this Christmas season.
Putting together your box
You can do this by yourself, in your classes, with your roommates or a group of friends. Have a shoebox packing party! It makes packing shoeboxes even more fun when you have a group of friends that can all shop and pack them together. Not only that, working in teams can help cut down costs for the college students.
Putting together boxes is a great opportunity for you to directly serve these kids. You get to choose the age and gender, buy the needed items and toys, and wrap up the box that will get put into directly into the hands of a child in need! People are encouraged to put in notes or photos of you/the group that put them together. There are so many opportunities to make this personal. There are even trackers you can pull off the Samaritan's Purse website that allows you to see where your box is going.
Donating
For people who don't have the time to shop or pack, there are still ways to help! It takes $7 to send a box to a child. People can go online to directly provide funds towards this. If you are set on sending a box, Operation Christmas Child has a great opportunity to be able to pack a box online.
Get involved with your university or local church
See if your university or local church is providing boxes or holding events during donation week! Liberty University is holding their annual Shoebox Blitz, where you can pick up boxes, volunteer to help run tables or walk around as giant shoeboxes (yes, this is a real job), or donate right to them! Take time out of your week to volunteer.
Pray
All of this needs to start and end with prayer. Pray for the children receiving the boxes, pray for those donating, pray for a surplus of funds, pray for open hearts, and pray that this year Samaritan's Purse will be able to send more boxes than ever!
If you pack a box, spread the word! Use #ipackedabox and encourage your friends and family to do the same.
Liberty U, get ready for Shoebox Blitz, where there will be stations (and giant shoe boxes walking around!) on campus where you'll be able to pick up boxes and get more information on giving this year.
For those looking for more information, here is the Samaritan's Purse website.
http://www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operatio...
