What is a Drop-Off Location?
A Drop-off Location is a local collection point for gift boxes prepared by
churches, organizations, and individuals participating in the OCC Ministry.
After churches and organizations gather their total collected gift boxes,
they can make one delivery to their closest drop-off location.
Likewise, individuals can also deliver their gift boxes at their nearest drop-off location.
A Drop-off Location is a local collection point for gift boxes prepared by churches, organizations, and individuals participating in the OCC Ministry.
After churches and organizations gather their total collected gift boxes, they can make one delivery to their closest drop-off location. Likewise, individuals can also deliver their gift boxes at their nearest drop-off location.
Drop-Off Locations are operated by local churches and organizations with available space and are open to the public during National Collection Week (the third week of November).
At the end of National Collection Week, Samaritan's Purse gathers the gift boxes from each Drop-Off Location and stores them in a warehouse until the Processing Center opens. At the Processing Center, each gift box is inspected by volunteers and then shipped to ministry partners around the world.
Reasons to Serve as a Drop-off Location
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Opportunity to Share the Gospel
Serving as a drop-off location provides an opportunity to engage with the community. Families, churches, schools, and organizations participating in ministry will bring their gift boxes to their local drop-off location. This provides an opportunity to welcome, connect, and pray with them.
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Opportunity to Invite the Community to the Church
During National Collection Week (the third week of November), invite those who bring their gift boxes to your Drop-Off Location to church events and Christmas celebrations.
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Supporting Children's Ministry Tools for Churches
Operation Christmas Child provides churches and groups in our receiving countries the unique opportunity to share the Gospel with children in their communities. Last year, more than 2 million children committed their lives to Christ through the program. Drop-off locations are an essential part of making this happen!
Frequently Asked Questions
The Drop-off Location is led by a team of volunteers, recruited from your congregation and area. One of the first steps to serving as a Drop-off Location is working together to build this team.
Samaritan’s Purse provides the necessary training and supplies to serve as a Drop-Off Location. The ministry provides training that covers everything from initial planning to completing the final tasks. Additionally, we will connect you with a coordinator who can provide ongoing support throughout the process.
A Drop-Off Location should be open for at least two hours each day of National Collection Week. At the end of the week, Samaritan’s Purse will collect all gift boxes, which will then be transported to a warehouse.
After National Collection Week, the Samaritan’s Purse Logistics Team will work with the Drop-Off Location team to facilitate the transportation of the gift boxes to the OCC warehouse.
Samaritan’s Purse provides all the promotional materials and collection cartons needed to operate the Drop-Off Location. The church operating the Drop-Off Location can support the volunteer team by providing a welcoming atmosphere and setting for the collection of gift boxes.
The space required for a Drop-Off Location depends on the expected number of shoebox gifts to be collected in the area. A representative from Samaritan’s Purse will work with the participating churches to find a suitable space within the church premises.
- For the collection of approximately 1,000 shoeboxes, about 60 collection cartons are needed, requiring a space of about 2.5 pyeong (7.5 ㎡).
- To ensure that the gift boxes prepared by participants are delivered to their destination in the best possible condition, the storage area should be a secure place.
