I can’t wait to share the rest of our adventure at the Charlotte Operation Christmas Child (OCC) Processing Center.
If you missed out on Part 1 – be sure to go here to get the scoop on our different volunteer roles.
Today I’m going to take you inside some of the boxes we processed.
There were some really neat and practical items packed in the boxes we processed:
- Entire outfits (shorts and shirts)
- Paper rolled up and secured with rubber bands for drawing and writing
- Water bottles (with toiletries placed inside)
- Bowls and spoons
- Homemade spin tops made out of CDs
- A backpack rolled tight and secured (it fit with plenty more room for other goodies!)
- Salvation bracelets
- Handwritten notes and drawings from children
- Razors and solid deodorant for the teens
- Packs of underwear and packs of undershirts
Some boxes even had notes written directly on the box.
I saw the fruit of several packing parties including one from a Women’s Ministry group from Smith Memorial Baptist Church in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Check out these precious notes they sent for each recipient!
Oh, ya’all! It makes my eyes tear up!
I love that theses precious women included photos of themselves packing the boxes.
A few other interesting tidbits:
- Broken shoeboxes (we came across at least 2 during our shift) are taken to the “Shoebox Hospital” so they can still be distributed.
- We could take breaks and grab a bit to eat as needed
- We had two specific times of prayer during our shift – a OCC coordinator gave us an update on the number of boxes packed, their destination, and prayed as we laid hands on the boxes
- You must be 13 or older to volunteer
In 2014 there were 9 processing centers – Charlotte, Baltimore, Boone (NC), Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, Minneapolis, Denver, Hawaii, and Southern California.
Volunteer registration for the OCC Processing centers usually occurs in September – check the OCC website over the summer for the exact date. I strongly suggest you get online the day registration opens to snag the date and time slot you prefer. Processing Centers are usually open from the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, through the third week in December.
If you are interested in learning more about volunteering with OCC please visit their Volunteer Page.
You may also want to read:
My Message in a Box
Serving in the OCC Processing Center – Part 1
Serving in the OCC Processing Center – Part 2
How to Pack a Better Shoebox
What It’s Like to Give a Child a Shoebox
How to Host an Operation Christmas Child Packing Party
How Your Women’s Ministry Can Get Involved with Operation Christmas Child
This post was so helpful!!! My husband and I are registered to go to the Charlotte processing center the week after Thanksgiving and are SO EXCITED! The registration fills up quickly! We got online the morning it opened and had to take afternoon shifts instead of morning and even were put on the waiting list for the third day we wanted to do it. (If we are able to go next year, I will register as soon after midnight as possible!) I can’t tell you how much I appreciated knowing the whole process and also the pictures (didn’t know what kind of clothes to pack). We have been packing boxes for more years than we can remember…first with our own kids and now with grandchildren. I absolutely love this ministry. I have had the comment from 1 person saying that he could not support this since the boxes went overseas while we still had children in need here. My response (and I’d love to hear yours) would be that here in the US we have organizations and agencies to help. It is my understanding that in most countries where the boxes are sent they have nothing and Jesus loves and died for children the world over! Love, love, love Samaritan’s Purse and Operation Christmas Child!!!!
Linda, so glad you were able to grab a spot! I believe registration usually opens at 8 AM EST – no need to be up at midnight! I hope you all have a great time!
As for where should we serve and share the Gospel, God says in Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” I think the call is different for different people and we must be prayerful about where He is calling us to go, whether it be physically or by equipping others.