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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Connect with Your Community
As a Drop-Off Location, your church becomes a place where neighbors come together with a shared purpose. It’s a simple but effective way to build relationships and serve your local area through meaningful service.
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Open Doors for Your Neighbors
Serving during National Collection Week (the third week of November) as a Drop-Off Location is an opportunity to welcome neighbors into your church. Invite families to church gatherings and Christmas celebrations.
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Support Children’s Ministries
In 2024, over 3.2 million children who received OCC Gift Boxes completed discipleship and chose to follow Jesus. By serving as a Drop-Off Location, you directly support the mission of Operation Christmas Child: bringing to Gospel to children around the world.
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.