Frequently Asked Questions
Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international relief organization. Our mission is to provide local partners around the world with giftboxes filled with small toys, hygiene items, and school supplies as a means of reaching out to children in their own communities with the Good News of Jesus Christ. We ship these simple gifts outside the South Korea to children affected by war, poverty, natural disaster, famine, and disease.
The program was started in the United Kingdom in 1990 by Dave and Jill Cooke. Three years after this beginning, the Wales-based shoebox gift project merged in a partnership with Samaritan’s Purse, allowing us to share 20 years of expertise in relief and aid work with the project, and expand the reach of the giftboxes to more than 28,000 children that year. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has delivered gifts to over 244 million children in more than 170 countries and territories.
Giftboxes demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world. By partnering with the local church worldwide, each gift is a powerful tool for sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Local ministry partners distribute your giftboxes to children in their communities. After receiving gifts, many boys and girls are invited to enroll in The Greatest Journey, our 12-lesson discipleship program. Through the program, ministry partners are able to establish long-term, caring relationships with children and families, sharing the love of Jesus Christ.
Although the collection of Operation Christmas Child gifts is during the Thanksgiving/Christmas season, the delivery of some gifts may be delayed due to complex international shipping procedures. They may not clear customs in receiving countries until spring. In addition, many countries that receive giftboxes must transport them to rural areas using very poor roads. Distributions typically occur from late December through spring each year, extending the joy of Christmas to children that receive them!
Operation Christmas Child is unable to facilitate this; however, you are welcome to include personal contact information at your own discretion in hopes of establishing communication with the child who receives your gift.
Samaritan’s Purse and Operation Christmas Child seek to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way through each giftbox. 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. At the same time, 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 giftboxes 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 empty shoebox or shoebox-sized plastic container. Operation Christmas Child also has red and green preprinted boxes that are available to order here.
Please fill the box with items that can bring joy and happiness to children.
We recommend including FUN items such as dolls, soccer balls, toys, clothing, and shoes, as well as craft supplies, small toys, art materials, school supplies, and hygiene products.
Also, please enclose a warm letter that will make your gift extra special!
Please do not include any items that are inappropriate for children, such as items with expiration dates, items that could be damaged, or dangerous items.
Examples include food, candy, shampoo, lotion, toothpaste, medicine, liquids, glass (such as hand mirrors), soap, sharp objects, toys related to war (such as guns or knives), cash, used items, etc.
There is no need to wrap the giftbox. Every December, volunteers gather at the processing center to inspect the boxes to ensure that no inappropriate items for children have been included, and to make any necessary repairs so that the giftboxes can safely arrive overseas. Also, since the giftbox is designed to look like a complete gift on its own, additional wrapping is not necessary.
If it has been a week since you ordered your giftbox through our website and you have not received it, please contact Samaritan’s Purse at 02-2105-1800 (extension 3).
There is no fixed amount you need to spend on gifts to fill a box. However, we kindly ask that you choose good-quality items that children will enjoy. On average, you can pack about 10 to 20 items in one giftbox, and it typically costs around 30,000 KRW (approximately $25 USD) to purchase these items. We hope that when children receive their giftbox, they will feel the love and care of those who prepared it and come to know God’s love.
The 15,000 won per giftbox is a suggested donation. This amount is critical to cover project costs involved in collecting, processing, and shipping your giftbox to over 170 countries. It also provides for ministry materials such as The Greatest Gift Gospel Booklet and The Ministry Partner Guide.
Giftboxes are delivered to children in over 100 countries around the world, and the recipient countries change each year. So far, the giftboxes prepared in Korea have been sent to children in Gabon, Mongolia, Ukraine, Cambodia and the Philippines.
The Operation Christmas Child (OCC) ministry aims to collect millions of giftboxes each year from 11 sending countries and distribute them to over 100 countries. Because of the large scale of this ministry, collecting, inspecting, and delivering the giftboxes requires significant time and cost, so it is difficult to send boxes to a specific country by request. However, we always do our best to ensure that giftboxes are delivered to the countries and children who need them most.
We will share Operation Christmas Child updates through the channels you have agreed to. If you wish to receive more ministry information, please subscribe to the Samaritan’s Purse newsletter.
You can serve in Operation Christmas Child as an individual or through your organization or community. You can find more details on how to volunteer here.
A Processing Center is the important final stage of preparing giftboxes for shipment. The gifts inside the boxes are inspected and then the giftboxes are prepared for shipping. Volunteers are responsible for inspecting the gifts inside the giftboxes, removing inappropriate items, filling empty space with filler items, and sorting the giftboxes 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.
Dates: December 8 – 12th, 2026
Location: KINTEX Hall 1, 217-60 KINTEX-ro, Goyang-si Ilsanseo-gu, Gyeonggi-do, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 10390
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 eight teenagers is required (youth volunteers include any volunteers between the ages of 13-18). 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 giftboxes 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 giftboxes 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.
Henry Manthanamba, who serves in the Operation Christmas Child in Malawi, said, “If giftboxes 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, giftboxes 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 98,000 pastors and church leaders share the Gospel every year at outreach events where giftboxes are delivered. The giftbox 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.
Giftboxes 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 giftbox. Children do not have to do or say anything to receive a gift. 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. Giftboxes are given freely in Jesus’ Name.
Giftboxes 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 giftboxes, 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 giftboxes 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.
Giftboxes 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.
Share
Please share this with your friends or acquaintances!
