2020: Think outside the shoebox!

 Thank you PHUMC and the community for "thinking outside the shoebox" and making this shoebox collection year a huge success. We were able to bring Good News and Great Joy to 3,041 children. 

Samaritan’s Purse – Operation Christmas Child Shoe Box Ministry is our Mission of the Month for October. 

Every year, Operation Christmas Child delivers millions of shoebox gifts to children around the world. Shining the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to children affected by war, poverty, disease, and natural disaster, shoebox gifts are fueled by the power of prayer, bringing Good News and Great Joy to the ends of the earth! People are asked to fill a shoebox with toys, school supplies, hygiene items, candy, etc. that will be sent to needy children in more than 150 countries. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has delivered over 123Million shoeboxes to needy children all over the world.

What Do I Pack In A Shoebox?

Items to include in your shoebox:

Toys– toy cars, yo-yos, jump ropes, balls, toys that light up and make noise (included extra batteries), stuffed animals

School Supplies – pens, pencils, sharpeners, notebooks, paper, solar calculators, coloring and picture books

(Non-liquid) Hygiene Items – toothbrushes, bar soap, washcloths, combs, fingernail clippers 

Accessories – T-shirts, socks, hats, sunglasses, hair clips, jewelry, watches, flashlights (include extra batteries), flip flops, chapstick

A “Wow” Item – a medium to large item that will capture the child’s attention the instant he or she opens the box (ex: a soccer ball w/pump, stuffed animal, legos, trucks, baby doll, barbie, musical instrument, clothes, shoes)

Do NOT Include: Candy; toothpaste; used or damaged items; war-related items such as toy guns, knives, or military figures; chocolate or food; fruit rolls or other fruit snacks; drink mixes (powdered or liquid); liquids or lotions; medications or vitamins; breakable items such as snow globes or glass containers; aerosol cans

In October, our adult's special needs ministry, Shining Lights, had their own shoebox building party filling an all-time record for them of 200 shoe boxes. 

This year Friday, October 9 at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday, October 10 at 10 a.m. the church will hold shoebox building parties with small groups, youth, children, Sunday school classes, and collects shoeboxes filled by members of our congregation. Make sure to sign up online or click HERE.

We are off to a great start, but we aren't done yet!

Do you know what happens to the shoeboxes once we pack them at PHUMC? 

PHUMC takes our packed shoeboxes to a collection center with a Samaritans Purse 18-wheeler. From there, our shoeboxes are taken to the Atlanta distribution center (one of over 8 distribution centers nationwide) and the shoeboxes get sent to their destination somewhere in the world from there.

Each year, we are blessed to have dedicated volunteers that realize the journey of our shoeboxes are not done. They travel to various processing centers in the south and continue volunteering with this amazing ministry. This year more than 11 million shoeboxes will bless children around the world. To find out more about more, please click Operation Christmas Child. You too can learn about volunteering at a distribution center near you. 

     A dedicated group of volunteers loads all of our shoeboxes every year into a trailer and take them to the local national drop off location. 

              Boone, NC processing plant                    Working processing plant in N.C.