Operation Christmas Child packs shoeboxes of school supplies for families in need
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- With the first day of school just around the corner, St. Joseph families are busy checking off their back-to-school shopping lists.
One local effort, Operation Christmas Child, is stepping in to help make sure every child has what they need.
Volunteers are filling empty shoeboxes with school supplies and personal care items, with a goal of reaching 12.6 million families worldwide.
It’s a simple idea with a big impact—turning a small shoebox into a package of hope for students heading into the new school year.
“We work on a mission that is filling shoeboxes, and through the shoebox, we get to bless children all around the world with the contents that we put in the shoeboxes, that makes a difference in their lives,” said Kristy Smith, a coordinator for Northwest Missouri.
Operation Christmas Child, part of Samaritan’s Purse, works to reach as many children as possible with these boxes of joy. St. Joseph has been part of the effort since 1994, filling shoeboxes with school supplies, toys and personal care items for kids who might not otherwise have them.
Smith said the project began when Franklin Graham saw a need in war-torn Bosnia, where children were struggling without basic items. From there, the idea grew into a global mission.
Teams across the U.S. and around the world pack shoeboxes with surprises—items that are both fun and useful. Local volunteers also work to set up drop-off locations where community members can bring donations.
“We put lots of toys so that makes it fun and we also put school supplies l;ike paper, pencils and pens with hygiene items and stuffed animals,” Smith said.
The volunteer team works in the U.S and other parts of the world to pack these boxes that are fun and have lots of surprises for the little ones.
The National Leadership team around the world comes together to provide items and coordinate locations to drop off the items.
“It’s fun to buy something for someone else and let them get excited about that and share their excitement by seeing them receive a bouncy ball,” said Raydena Allison, a logistics coordinator.
There are nearly 10 drop-off locations in Missouri, with two in St. Joseph. One of the locations being the Frederick Boulevard Baptist Church, located at 5502 Frederick Ave.
“Sometimes I take my grandkids and we go shopping and they will buy stuffed animals because the two little girls I have loved stuffed animals, so that’s so easy to pack,” Allison said.
The hope is simple: keep filling shoeboxes and keep bringing smiles to children’s faces around the world.
