Things to consider packing your Operation Christmas Child Shoebox

In early December 2014, I had the opportunity to work for Samaritan's Purse and Operation Christmas Child (OCC), an organization that delivers shoeboxes full of toys and necessities to children in need of hope around the world. Many of you are familiar with those red cardboard shoe boxes and have been donating for several years. I helped out at one of the nine "Processing Centers" around the country. These Centers are the next step after the collection centers receive your boxes. Once there, each of the 8.5 million shoeboxes will be inspected before they are shipped overseas. With the experience I gained working at the Processing Center in Maryland, I wanted to give you a little bit of insight and some suggestions about how to pack your shoebox for next year.
Not all shoeboxes are created equal

1. Consider using the free boxes that OCC distributes. These are called "Go Boxes." This helps out in several ways, two of which are: A) They are lightweight and as we know, weight factors into getting things from one place to another. Whether its gas for the truck to get them from the collection center to the shipping yard or the mule that carries them to distribution points, weight is a factor. B) They are mathematically perfect for fitting into the larger cartons that they are packed in before shipping overseas. At the processing center, a "perfect carton" is a box with zero air in it due to odd ball shoebox shapes. You can get 23 OCC Go Boxes in a perfect carton which is 8 to 9 more than the average carton, which means less shipping containers, which in turn means less shipping costs.
2. For those of you with generous hearts and think, "I'm going to fill that BOOT box I have in the closet!" Stop and take an extra moment to consider not only the cartonizing and shipping of that box, but more importantly think of the situation at the other end at distribution. Certainly, you are making one child extremely happy, but you might be causing sadness or jealousy to the children sitting next to him who only gets a normal sized shoebox, which in turn may cause that one child you blessed to feel more awkward than blessed. Consider instead making 2 boxes and blessing 2 kids!
3. Many of us pack our boxes with those plastic containers which are roughly shaped like shoeboxes. Yes, these are great for keeping moisture out and are wonderful items in themselves as they might be a durable box for the child to use for something else, but please know three things. A) There is a potential for them to break. They get somewhat brittle when they endure the cold of collection centers, trucks, processing centers, more trucks, and shipping containers here north of the equator. And there is a lot of shifting, lifting, and dropping of cartons along the way. If they get damaged before the processing center, things are repacked in a new cardboard box at the Processing Center's Shoebox Hospital. B) Although they are somewhat shoebox size, they are more trapezoidal and actually cause quite a bit of empty space in each carton. C) If you do use them, consider wrapping the inside of them so kids can't see in. From what I understand, many if not most of the distribution centers hold an event when passing the shoeboxes out. As each child is given a box, they are told that they have to wait for everyone to get one before they can open it. Wrapping on the inside increases the excitement and anticipation during this short period of time and adds a whole lot of fun.

Packing your box

1. OCC provides a handy dandy list of what is good and what is inappropriate to put in your shoebox gift. Stick to it. No liquids, no chocolate that can melt, no camouflage shirts or hats, no weapon-type toys, no nail polish, no glass, etc. Things that you can consider that ARE appropriate: tools such as hammer and nails and wrenches, sewing supplies, scissors. {These things change from year to year, so be sure to check out the list}
2. Consider packing for older children. It's easy to get wrapped up in the toys and pretty little socks and such, but preteens need some love too.
3. Put any envelopes, cards, and money on top. All envelopes are inspected for currency because any money found at the other end could endanger the child. This inspection includes personal cards and letters. They will be opened and inspected before going back into the shoebox, so consider not sealing shut those envelopes, that way the inspectors won't have to cut or rip them open. 
4. Put something about yourself in it! Like a picture, personal letter, favorite verse of scripture, something about the place where you live, etc. Over the several weeks I was at the Processing Center, I heard several testimonials from adults who were children that once received boxes long ago and how those personal touches and connections stood out to them as being tokens of love from real people who cared.
5. Worried that your box doesn't have enough in it? That's OK! Though they aren't in the business of filling up boxes that are completely empty, OCC has business partners that happily donate items for the inspection team to use to fill any empty space that might occur in a box.

Sealing your box

1. Just use a single rubber-band to hold the lid on from your drop-off point to the Processing Center. Each box will be opened and inspected, so anything more to keep the box closed just adds to the workload to the inspection team. It will be TAPED SHUT at the end of the inspection process.
2. Wrapping your shoebox is uber fun for the kids at the other end, just keep in mind two simple things. A) Don't wrap it in such a way that the wrapping paper completely seals the box. Again, it will be inspected, so it has to be opened. Inspectors try to respect the wrapping paper as best they can, but they will cut their way through it if they have to, to make sure all is right on the inside. B) Remember that TAPE that I mentioned a second ago? Big two inch wide white tape with the words Samaritan's Purse in big bold red letters emblazoned on it. Keep your efforts simple knowing that a portion of it will be taped over. Bows, ribbons, and such mostly get put inside the box during inspection to help with fitting shoe boxes into cartons.
3. If you have to sit on your box to close it or it looks like there is an inflated football in there when there is no football, it's too full! Gently full is the term OCC uses. We want gently full boxes, people. If when you push on the top it pops back up a fraction of a bit, then you're perfect. If instead it springs up back at you like a "snake in a can" gag gift, it's too full, and you should consider making a second box. Better yet, don't consider... just make a second box.
4. Make sure to put a label on it and mark the appropriate age and gender. Maybe consider printing off a "Follow Your Box Label," from their website so you can know what country your box wound up in.

Pray

1. Pray for all the workers and volunteers who do everything that needs to be done to get the shoe boxes to their destinations. They are real people, some of whom are going through some tough stuff of their own, and they themselves can use extra prayer during this time of year.
2. Pray for the ministers of the gospel that will bring the message of hope to the children receiving these gifts. Pray that the discipleship that comes from this ministry is fruitful and multiplies.
3. Continue to pray for the child who will receive your shoebox gift. Mid-November is usually when we drop off our shoeboxes at some drop off point before they travel to a collection center. It's easy for us in America to quickly put Christmas aside and out of minds once December is over (Here it is January 3rd and my family just packed up and put away all our decorations). But some of these shoeboxes will not get to their destinations until February or March. Continue to pray for the young recipients, that their hearts would be softened during this time. Pray that the Holy Spirit of God would woo them in the unique and powerful ways and speak hope into their hearts. 

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Operation Christmas Child Inspection Station

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