Operation Christmas Child 2020

Loading our 2018 shoeboxes

This year, we are again taking part in Operation Christmas Child.

If you're reading this and live nearby, we'd love you to join us. For many children who receive these boxes, it will be their only Christmas present this year. We want as many people as possible to put together a shoebox, so we can send off as many as possible:

  • 2010: 40 shoeboxes
  • 2011: 33 shoeboxes
  • 2012: 50 shoeboxes
  • 2013: 81 shoeboxes
  • 2014: 124 shoeboxes
  • 2015: 106 shoeboxes
  • 2016: 162 shoeboxes
  • 2017: 169 shoeboxes
  • 2018: 211 shoesboxes
  • 2019: 125 shoeboxes

You may wish to watch the video below to learn more:

How It Works

You need a shoebox, some gifts to put in it, a leaflet that tells you what to include and what to leave out, and £5 to get the box to its destination.

  • Shoebox: If you don't have a shoebox, you can either buy a new pair of shoes, or use one of the flat-packed shoe boxes we have left at the back of Kemsing church. They cost us 40p each - either just take one, or put 40p in the wallsafe if you feel like paying us back for the box! This year, you can also collect a flat box from The Bell or Dynes Road Cleaners.
  • Gifts to put in: The leaflet gives you some ideas. You need to choose whether this is for a boy or a girl, and what age bracket it's for (2-4, 5-9 or 10-14). To fill a box with an assortment of gifts usually costs about £20, so you could do jointly one with a friend if that makes it more affordable.
  • Leaflet: Pick one up from the table at the back of Kemsing church, or download one. You can also collect a leaflet from Kemsing Primary School Office, Kemsing Library, or Dynes Road Cleaners. As well as giving you some ideas for gifts to include, it tells you what you can't put in, how to pack the box (use an elastic band, don't seal it), and gives you a label to stick on the box to indicate who the box is for.
  • £5: I know, more expense. When you think about how much it costs to post a box of chocolates to a friend in Maidenhead, £5 is a bargain for door-to-door international delivery. Either put the money inside the box (on top), or pay online. Details on the leaflet.

This year, we can't have a special service when we collect the boxes and pray for the children. But The Bell and Dynes Road Cleaners have kindly offered to act as drop-off points. Take the box to either, up to the end of Thursday 12th November, any time during their usual opening hours. If you paid online, you'll get an email in the spring telling you which country your box ended up in. (One year, mine went to Swaziland).

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