Christmas season is officially upon us. My family has several traditions we look forward to every year. One of those is our Christmas bucket list. It’s something we look forward to each year to help us get in the holiday spirit. One of the items that’s always on our list year after year is donating to a charity.
We’ve donated to several charities over the years, but our favorite one to donate to at Christmastime is Operation Christmas Child.
We were introduced to this charity run by Samaritan’s Purse at our church several years ago. This wonderful organization sends shoe boxes of gifts all over the world to children in need to ensure they have a merry Christmas. You can pack a physical shoebox or pack one online. Over the years, my family has done both.
Here’s the way it works: You start out by choosing a boy or girl child to pack for and an age range. My boys tend to choose boys in their age range to shop for. If you pack a physical shoebox, there is a list of recommended items to buy for your box. I typically buy a Tupperware type box with a lid that’s about the size of a shoebox to pack. Whatever you buy, you just have to make sure it will fit in your box and the lid will fit properly. If you physically pack one, there is a deadline to have it packed by and ready to ship. There are local drop-off points around Chattanooga where you can take your finished box.
If you choose to build your shoebox online, there is no deadline to meet. You can build a box online all year long. The premise is the same; you choose a boy or girl in a specific age range, and then you choose what to add to your box. Once your box is packed, you have the option of leaving them a note and a picture. We have done this the last few years, and my boys absolutely love it.
Donating to this organization every year has helped my boys realize that not everyone is as fortunate as they are, especially at Christmas. It’s also great because they can physically see the work they are doing to help. They are choosing things that will be given to a child instead of just seeing me write a check to someone. They honestly look forward to building their shoebox every year.
If you are looking for a great charity to donate to this Christmas season, this is a great one to consider. If you’re looking for a family bucket list to complete this season, I’ve included ours down below.
