How To Make

Someone Smile

this Christmas

Operation Christmas Child is the world’s largest children’s Christmas appeal with a heritage of 21 years.

Every year Operation Christmas Child is made possible through the amazing support of thousands of children and adults in Europe. Last year alone we had the joy of sending nearly 1.12 million shoeboxes bursting with joy from the UK and several thousand more from Ireland to children living in parts of Africa, Central Asia and Europe.

From you to a child in need;

Operation Christmas Child works by taking Your Gift-Filled Shoebox - packed and wrapped and hand delivers it to a child in need, asking nothing from them in return.

All shoeboxes are given to children in need, with no regard to their background or beliefs.

• This Charity Organisation began as a worldwide project but as this is our first year, we would like to prepare and deliver our Christmas Shoeboxes to local Orphanages and Children´s Homes in the Porto area.

Operation Christmas Child (Samaritan’s Purse)

Some of the Children who live in these Orphanages and Homes, although they receive daily care, aren´t privileged to have;

• Parents• A Family Home• Money• Clothes• Family Love• Education• Health Care

Some of these children don´t even know the meaning of Christmas.

How to Pack a shoebox!

Use an empty shoe box (standard size, please) or a small plastic container. You can wrap the box (lid separately), with Christmas paper.

Determine whether your gift will be for a boy or a girl, and the child’s age category: 2-4, 5-9, 10-14, 15-18.

Fill the box with a variety of gifts that will bring delight to a child of your chosen age and gender. 

What can I put in my shoebox?

Some suggestions for a girl;

Jewellery, hair bands, winter hat, scarf and gloves, cuddly toys, small travel games like; (Monopoly, Scrabble, Snakes and Ladders and playing cards), sweets, make-up, writing paper, pencils, felt-tip pens, toothbrush and toothpaste, tissues, drawing book, reading books, your name, photo and address (they may want to write to you to thank you and form a pen-pal friendship).

What can I put in my shoebox?

Some suggestions for a boy;

Toy cars, football magazine, cards and stickers, winter hat, scarf and gloves, cuddly toys, small travel games like; (Monopoly, Scrabble, Snakes and Ladders and playing cards) sweets, toothbrush and toothpaste, socks, writing paper, pencils, felt-tip pens, drawing book, reading books, your name, photo and address (they may want to write to you to thank you and form a pen-pal friendship).

• Aerosol cans, fizzy drinks, chocolate, nuts, sharp and flammable objects.

Just remember!

• When you pack your shoebox, if you were the one with nothing receiving a mystery box at Christmas, what gifts would make you happy?

What should I not put in my shoebox?

Deadline for Shoeboxes

• The last available day to bring your shoebox to School will be Monday 12th December 2011.