Operation Christmas Child Opens Nationwide Collection Week November 16–23

Operation Christmas Child will hold its 2026 U.S. National Collection Week from November 16 through November 23, giving individuals, families, churches, students, and community groups a practical way to participate in Christian mission. Samaritan’s Purse says nearly 5,000 drop-off locations will open across the country, with an online tool allowing participants to search by city or ZIP code for the nearest site and operating hours. The project invites people to fill shoeboxes with age-appropriate toys, school supplies, personal-care items, and other useful gifts, then bring the finished boxes to a designated location during the collection period. The organization’s October 12 announcement states that Operation Christmas Child hopes to reach 12.8 million children in 2026 with the hope of Jesus. Its purpose is explicitly evangelistic: Samaritan’s Purse describes the shoeboxes as tangible expressions of God’s love delivered in partnership with local churches, which share the Good News of Jesus Christ with children in their communities. The ministry reports that since 1993 it has collected and delivered more than 232 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories. Those large totals begin with ordinary acts that churches can organize locally: a family shopping carefully, a small group hosting a packing night, students collecting school supplies, a congregation serving as a drop-off location, or volunteers praying over gifts before they travel. Because the event is nationwide but locally implemented, participants can engage close to home while supporting church partners across cultural and national boundaries. The focus remains a simple gift offered with prayer, careful preparation, and a clear gospel purpose.

Good participation requires more than filling a container quickly. Samaritan’s Purse provides a step-by-step packing guide and gift recommendations so that boxes are appropriate, useful, and ready for international distribution. Churches can use the weeks before November 16 to explain the ministry’s purpose, set clear collection goals, involve children and teenagers, and assign teams for purchasing, quality checks, prayer, transportation, and hospitality at a packing event. Participants should follow the official guidance rather than improvising prohibited or unsuitable items. Samaritan’s Purse also asks for a suggested donation of $10 per shoebox to help cover shipping, processing, ministry-partner training, and gospel materials; those who donate online through the Follow Your Box option can receive a tracking label and later discover the destination of their gift. The project’s church partnership continues after distribution. Its ministry resources describe local churches inviting children to receive the Greatest Gift gospel booklet and to participate in follow-up discipleship through The Greatest Journey. That sequence helps explain why National Collection Week is best understood as a missions event rather than a seasonal donation drive. The shoebox is a relational tool placed in the hands of local believers who know their communities and can continue walking with children. For participating congregations, the week can also strengthen discipleship at home by helping parents talk with children about generosity, prayer, poverty, mission, and the worldwide body of Christ without presenting recipients as projects. A well-led packing effort emphasizes dignity, careful stewardship, and dependence on local churches. By November 23, the visible result will be boxes at thousands of collection sites; the deeper goal is faithful gospel witness, carried forward through prayer, church partnership, and long-term discipleship.