Making a Difference One Shoebox at a Time

Founded in 1970, Samaritan’s Purse is dedicated to aiding the world’s poor, sick, and suffering. Their global outreach efforts strive to help those who may be victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine. By providing food, medicine, and other types of assistance to those in desperate need, they accomplish their mission of providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people worldwide. One of Samaritan’s Purse’s flagship efforts is Operation Christmas Child, or OCC, a project that benefits children worldwide.

Since 1993, Samaritan’s Purse has worked to collect shoeboxes and fill them with essentials, as well as special treats for children around the world. Each box contains toys, hygiene items, school supplies, and other sundries these children would not otherwise receive. In fact, for the more than 220 million children that have received a shoebox from Operation Christmas Child since the project’s inception, it is the first gift that they have ever received. Packed and sent by volunteers, the shoeboxes are a physical manifestation of the love and care that these children so richly deserve.

At US-Companies, we are proud to support OCC and have embraced the project as a cornerstone of our corporate culture. We have integrated it as a new tradition at our locations, setting aside time each year for our employees to help pack shoeboxes. This tradition allows us to give back meaningfully during the holiday season, when so many of us are compelled to show compassion and generosity to our communities.

Last year, we packed 2100 shoeboxes, and we cannot wait to continue to give back this year. Packing these boxes is a team effort, and the camaraderie and joy we all feel while packaging these treasures is truly contagious. Our annual packing event will take place in November, and this year, we have set a goal to pack at least 3000 boxes. We are determined to reach this goal. With the help of our community and team, we have already begun planning and acquiring supplies, and we are certain that this year’s packing event will be a success.

Based on Samaritan’s Purse’s national average, it will cost approximately $110,000 to fill and ship these 3000 shoeboxes. We have pledged company resources and launched internal fundraising efforts, but we still need help to reach our goal. We invite anyone who would like to contribute to visit our fundraising page to learn more about OCC. Every donation helps, and together, we can affect change in the lives of these deserving children.