Frequently Asked Questions
The Operation Christmas Child is one of the main projects of Samaritan’s Purse, sharing the Gospel with children around the world through gift boxes. OCC stands for Operation Christmas Child, which began by sending Christmas gifts in shoeboxes to children suffering from war in Bosnia.
OCC gift boxes continue to deliver toys, hygiene items, school supplies, and other gifts to children suffering from war, famine, natural disasters, poverty, and disease around the world. Through these gift boxes, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is shared with the next generation in these regions.
The ministry started in the United Kingdom in 1990 by Dave and Jill Cooke. Three years after this beginning, the ministry expanded into a specialized project, partnering with Samaritan’s Purse to prepare over 28,000 gift boxes.
Since then, Operation Christmas Child has delivered OCC gift boxes filled with God’s love and the Gospel of Jesus Christ to over 290 million children in more than 170 countries and territories.
The OCC gift box is an essential tool used to introduce and engage children around the world to ‘The Greatest Journey,’ a 12-lesson discipleship program created to share the Gospel.
Local churches partnering with the Operation Christmas Child around the world give out gift boxes to children along with the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Children who received gift boxes can participate in a 12-lesson discipleship program, The Greatest Journey.
Through these lessons, local ministry partners can teach children with Words of God, ultimately extending the influence of the Gospel to their families over time.
After being collected and processed, the gift boxes are shipped overseas from Korea beginning at the end of December. The arrival time varies by country since they are transported by sea, and some shipments may not clear customs until spring of the following year. In addition, many countries that receive gift boxes face challenges in transporting them dometiscally due to difficult conditions. However, efforts are made to deliver the gifts to children in need of the Gospel as quickly as possible,. The gift boxes are typically distributed to children within a month after arriving at the local ministry partners.
The Ministry seeks to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way through each gift box. One of our core values is to never be manipulative. We work in and through volunteers in each country who understand the local culture and context and are respectful to the people they serve.
We do seek to share the Gospel wherever we go, which can be challenging at times. In some regions, we are not permitted to distribute literature, but we are still grateful for the opportunity to bless the children with gift boxes carefully prepared by people who want them to know they are loved. Boys and girls do not have to do or say anything to receive their gifts.
You can use any OCC gift box, cardboard or plastic. Operation Christmas Child also has red-and-green boxes that are also available to order now.
Please fill the box with a “WOW item” that can bring joy and happiness to the child, such as a doll, soccer ball, toy, clothing, or musical instrument. Additionally, include items like craft materials, small toys, art supplies, accessories, and hygiene products to ensure there is no empty space in the box. Please enclose a photo of yourself and a handwritten letter to give the gift box a personal touch.
Please do not include items which have an expiration date, any used items, cash, liquids, easily breakable items, or items that could be harmful to children.
- Expired or perishable items: Food, candy, chocolate, medicine, toothpaste, etc.
- Easily breakable items: Glass, snow globe, etc.
- Dangerous items: Toy gun or knife, war-related items, etc.
No, they do not need to be wrapped as the gift box is the traditional way they’re handed out to the children. If you wish to wrap a gift box using your own wrapping paper, please wrap only the outer surface with the lid left open to avoid damaging the wrapping paper during processing.
You will be able to track your ordered gift box once delivery has begun. If you don’t receive your gift box order within a week, please contact Samaritan’s Purse (02-2105-1800, ext 2).
The average OCC gift box consists of 10-20 items and usually cost a total of 30,000 KRW on average. There isn’t a min or max limit to how much is spent on the gift box, but we ask for each gift box to be full of quality items. Our prayer is that when a child opens their box, they can tangibly experience the personal love of Christ through the donor’s generosity.
The 20,000 won donation is critical to cover general Operation Christmas Child costs including overseas shipping and the 12-lesson discipleship program.
Please drop off your gift box at a nearby drop-off location during National Collection Week (November 18–25, 2024). If you’re unable to drop off your gift box in person, please send it via courier (taekbae) to Samaritan’s Purse Warehouse by November 25th.
Gift boxes are sent to children in over 100 countries, and the recipient countries change each year. In the past, we have sent gift boxes to children in Gabon, Mongolia, Ukraine, and the Philippines. This year, we will send them to Mongolia, Ukraine, the Philippines, and hard-to-reach areas.
Our ministry’s goal is to collect millions of gift boxes from 11 sending countries and distribute them to over 100 countries each year. Due to the tremendous growth of Operation Christmas Child, the logistics of collecting, processing, and distributing so many boxes prevent us from designating specific boxes for certain countries or climates based on their contents. However, we always make our best effort to deliver gift boxes to those in greatest need.
Even if you don’t pack a physical gift box, you can still participate in Operation Christmas Child by donating 40,000 KRW to build a gift box online. With your donation, we will pack a gift box on your behalf. Please check “Build a Gift Box Online” for more information.
If you participated through your church, you can drop off your gift box at your church or bring it to a nearyby drop-off location during National Collection Week (November 18 – 25). If you’re unable to drop off your gift box in person, please send it to Samaritan’s Purse warehouse via courier (taekbae).
- Warehouse Address: Gusudong-gil 26-20, Gonjiam-eup, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do
- Warehouse Contact Number: 010-2959-0308
Please drop off your gift box at a nearby drop-off location during National Collection Week (November 18–25, 2024). If you’re unable to drop off your gift box in person, please send it via courier (taekbae) to Samaritan’s Purse Warehouse by November 25th.
For those who participate in the Operation Christmas Child, ministry updates will be sent through the channel you agreed to. If you’d like more updates, please subscribe to the Samaritan’s Purse newsletter. (Sign-up for Newsletter)
You can serve in the Operation Christmas Child as an individual or through your organization or community. You can find more details on how to volunteer here.
The Processing Center is the important final stage of preparing OCC gift boxes for shipment. The gifts inside the boxes are inspected and then the gift boxes are prepared for shipping. Volunteers are responsible for inspecting the gifts inside the gift boxes, removing inappropriate items, filling empty space with filler items and sorting the gift boxes by age and gender. The tasks may vary depending on the circumstances at the venue on that day.
You can sign up to volunteer at a processing center by clicking here
If you contact us in advance, we can adjust the available visiting times for you. However, please make sure to contact the office in advance to ensure smooth operations and allow more volunteers to participate.
Please check the Career Opportunities page on the Samaritan’s Purse website.
Date and Time: Mon, December 11th – Fri, 13th, 2024 (9AM-5PM) and Sat, December 14th, 2024 (9AM – 12PM)
Location: Gangnamdae-ro 25, Seocho-gu, Seoul (aT Center_Hall 1), (Postal Code) 06774
*Paid parking is available at the aT Center, but since space is limited, we kindly ask that you use public transportation if possible.
All volunteers must be at least 13 years of age. Due to the warehouse environment, we can allow no exceptions to this age requirement. At least one guardian needed for every six teenagers is required (youth volunteers include any volunteers between the ages of 13-17). The primary responsibility of a chaperone is to ensure the safety and appropriate behavior of your youth. For the safety of all volunteers in the warehouse, processing center staff reserve the right to ask any group not acting in accordance with safety procedures and outlined policies to leave the building at any time.
We recommend that you come dressed warmly as it may be cold inside the processing center. All volunteers must wear closed-toed shoes.
Meals will not be provided at the processing center but there will be snacks available during break times. Eating meals inside the processing center is not allowed and so we ask that you utilize restaurants and cafes located nearby.
First, join the waiting list for your preferred time, then search for other options available. There are usually many available slots on weekday evenings. Since those who registered earlier may cancel, please check the list frequently.
Operation Christmas Child is a global ministry facilitated through hundreds of thousands of trained volunteers. Trained ministers and volunteers not only deliver OCC gift boxes but also present the Gospel and facilitate our 12-lesson discipleship program, ‘The Greatest Journey.’
Local Christians, who are most familiar with the cultures and languages of various countries, can become strong ministry partners in the Operation Christmas Child. Samaritan’s Purse works with local church pastors and leaders by providing training to help them effectively organize outreach events for children using OCC gift boxes and share the Gospel.
The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to partner with local churches and reach children and share the Good News of Jesus Christ with them in their communities. For many children, this is the first time they are receiving a gift, so it holds a meaning far beyond just the gifts inside.
Various denominations in each country work together to spread the Gospel through children’s outreach events and discipleship programs, allowing millions of children to hear the Gospel each year.
Henry Manthanamba, who serves in the Operation Christmas Child in Malawi, said, “If OCC gift boxes had a negative impact on our local economy, the government would never allow them. They see it as a blessing to the children of Malawi,” emphasizing that the ministry is a great blessing to children.
In over 100 receiving countries, gift boxes are utilized by local Christians as a strategy for evangelism, discipleship, and the multiplication of believers and churches within their communities. For example, in a village in Fiji, a church was established through the discipleship program, which subsequently led to the planting of hundreds of churches.
Operation Christmas Child is an important opportunity to fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission and to share God’s love with children around the world.
More than 75,000 pastors and church leaders share the Gospel every year at outreach events where OCC gift boxes are delivered. The OCC gift box outreach events are planned and implemented by volunteers in the local church who know the culture and language best. Through our volunteer National Leadership Team, local believers are trained to present the Gospel in a child friendly way. We work with the volunteer National Leadership Team to develop an annual strategy for evangelism, discipleship, and multiplication of believers and churches in their communities.
Gift boxes are given to children regardless of their gender, age, ethnicity, or faith. We seek to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way through each gift box. Children do not have to do or say anything to receive the gifts. We work in and through local Christians in each country who understand the context in their area. Simple gifts—packed with love in Jesus’ Name—deliver hope and joy to children all around the world, regardless of their faith or religious background.
Operation Christmas Child is not intended as a solution for meeting physical needs, but rather a strategy for the local church to meet spiritual needs of children in their communities. The unexpected gift delights and sparks hope in the life of a child as they hear of Jesus’ love for them. Gift boxes are given freely in Jesus’ Name.
OCC gift boxes are distributed by volunteers from the National Leadership Team, who are trained and discipled to organize and lead outreach events. The gifts are distributed to the children at these events, which are often held at local churches.
Various individuals and church leaders volunteer to serve as part of the National Leadership Team of each receiving country. Often, these members are teachers, young adults, parents etc. who have a heart to serve and share the Gospel to these children. National Leadership Teams train local church partners on how to distribute OCC gift boxes, share the Gospel, and disciple children effectively.
‘The Greatest Journey’ is a 12-lesson discipleship program developed by Samaritan’s Purse that children who receive gift boxes participate in at their local churches. This program encourages children to receive salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and to live as faithful disciples. Additionally, it connects local churches with children, enabling them to teach and nurture the children in their faith.
Gift boxes sent around the world come with a gospel booklet called ‘The Greatest Gift,’ which is translated into over 100 languages. This booklet contains 11 Bible stories explained by the Apostle John, inviting children to hear the Gospel and become disciples of Jesus.
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