In 2009: More Than 8 Million Gift-Filled Shoe Boxes Collected for Needy Children Overseas

BOONE, N.C., Jan. 7, 2010— The spirit of giving reached an all-time high in 2009 when families prepared more than 8 million shoe box gifts - the most ever - to show children worldwide they are loved and not forgotten.  Through Operation Christmas Child, kids filled empty shoe boxes with toys, necessity items, school supplies and notes of encouragement.  The 8 million plus shoe box gifts collected are being hand-delivered to hurting children around the world using whatever means necessary - sea containers, trucks, trains, airplanes, helicopters, boats, camels, even dog sleds. 

It's the power of a simple gift that allows Operation Christmas Child to transcend all barriers - language, cultural, religious, geographical and political - with a message of hope and love.  For many of these children, the simple shoe box will be the first gift they have ever received.

In 1993, Samaritan's Purse kicked-off Operation Christmas Child in the United States with just 28,000 shoe box gifts.  Since then, the project has collected more than 77 million shoe box gifts for needy boys and girls in more than 130 countries.

It's not too early to pack a shoe box gift for next Christmas.  Operation Christmas Child is a year-round effort, taking months to pack enough Christmas gifts to reach millions of children.  For more information, visit www.samaritanspurse.org/OCC.

Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan's Purse, an international relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham that works in more than 100 countries to provide aid to victims of war, disease, disaster, poverty, famine and persecution. 

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