Thanksgiving is three weeks away, and in thousands of churches across the country, a small, familiar project is already taking up space in fellowship halls and Sunday school rooms: empty shoeboxes waiting to be filled. Operation Christmas Child, the shoebox ministry of Samaritan’s Purse, holds its 2026 National Collection Week from November 16 to 23. That leaves families about ten days to shop, pack and pray before drop-off sites open.
For many households, the season of gratitude runs straight into a season of giving. The shoebox drive is a simple way to put both into practice, and it offers a fitting moment to look at what the Bible says about how we give.
What is happening this month
According to the Press-Republican of Plattsburgh, New York, about 5,000 drop-off locations will open nationwide in November. Many are hosted by local churches. Families can find the nearest site and its hours with an online lookup tool that searches by city or ZIP code. FOX 17 in Nashville advised checking that locator before heading out, because locations and hours can change.
The scale is large. Samaritan’s Purse reports collecting 12.2 million shoebox gifts worldwide in 2025, and its goal for 2026 is to reach 12.8 million children, FOX 17 reported. Since 1993, the ministry says, gift-filled shoeboxes have been delivered to more than 244 million children in more than 175 countries and territories. The aim, the Press-Republican noted, is to reach children affected by war, poverty, disease and disaster.
The project began in the United Kingdom in 1990 and merged with Samaritan’s Purse in 1993, according to the ministry’s own FAQ. Local churches in receiving countries hand out the boxes, and many children who receive them are then invited to The Greatest Journey, a 12-lesson discipleship course. Samaritan’s Purse says a $6 gift sponsors one child in that course, covering a workbook, a graduation certificate and a New Testament in the child’s language.
Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse, framed it this way in the Press-Republican: “Each box is an opportunity to tell a boy or girl in need about the true meaning of Christmas.”
What the Bible says about giving
Long before shoeboxes, the Apostle Paul was organizing a collection of his own. In his second letter to the church at Corinth, he encouraged believers to follow through on a gift for struggling Christians in Jerusalem. He did not pressure them or set a quota. Instead, he pointed to the heart behind the gift.
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7 (KJV)
That verse has a few lessons for families packing boxes this month. First, giving begins with purpose. Paul speaks of what a person “purposeth in his heart,” which suggests thinking and praying ahead, not just grabbing whatever is left in the cart. Second, giving is personal. One family may fill several boxes, while another may share the cost of one with grandparents or a Sunday school class. Third, the attitude matters to God as much as the amount. A child who chooses a toothbrush, a notebook and a small toy with joy is living out this verse just as fully as anyone else.
Paul goes on in the same chapter to remind the Corinthians that God is able to supply what they need so they can keep doing good. The gift, in other words, is a response to God’s generosity, not a way to earn it. That is a helpful word in a month when advertising tells us gratitude is something you buy.
Why it matters for families
Packing a shoebox is one of the few holiday traditions that small children can do almost entirely on their own, and it can turn the weeks before Thanksgiving into a lesson on generosity. Samaritan’s Purse lists some practical guidelines worth knowing before you shop:
- Good to pack: small toys, school supplies and personal care items such as wet wipes, solid deodorant, non-medicated lip balm and bandages. Bibles and Christian literature are allowed.
- Leave out: food or candy, liquids and lotions, toothpaste, medicine, soap, money, used or damaged items, glass and aerosols, and scary or war-related toys.
- Close it right: the ministry asks donors to secure boxes with rubber bands rather than tape.
- Shipping: a $10 donation per box is suggested to cover collection, processing and shipping. Giving online through the “Follow Your Box” feature provides a tracking label that shows which country the box reaches.
- Short on time? Samaritan’s Purse also offers a Build a Shoebox Online option for $30, which includes the $10 donation.
Families who are already planning their holiday budget may find our Thanksgiving meal deals comparison and our guide to the best days to buy toys helpful for stretching a shoebox budget. And for a reminder of how many believers around the world live without freedom, see our recent call to remember the persecuted church.
What to watch next
Drop-off sites open November 16, and the collection week ends November 23, just days before Thanksgiving. Samaritan’s Purse says its Boone and Charlotte, North Carolina, ministry centers accept gifts year-round. Upstormed News will share any updates as the collection week begins.
Whatever your family decides to give this season, through a shoebox, a church food drive or a neighbor’s table, Paul’s words are a good guide: give with purpose, give freely and give with a glad heart.
Read more: When the Holidays Hurt: How to Walk Beside a Grieving Friend This Season
Is your family packing a shoebox this year, and what is the one item your kids always insist on including?
Sources: The Press-Republican via Yahoo News, “Operation Christmas Child hosting drop off locations” (October 31, 2026); FOX 17 Nashville, “Operation Christmas Child announces 2026 collection dates, what to donate and more” (October 13, 2026); Samaritan’s Purse, “Operation Christmas Child Frequently Asked Questions” (accessed November 5, 2026); King James Bible Online, “2 Corinthians 9:7” (accessed November 5, 2026)
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