Once again, Dan and I had the privilege last week to work at the
Operation Christmas Child processing center in Boone, North Carolina. This is a trip that we look forward to each
year and it always seems like the hours just fly by and before we know it…we
are heading back home.
As a result of my writing about this experience for the last few
years, many of you have messaged me and said that you always make a point to
fill boxes for this worthy cause. On our
drive home a few days ago, I was thinking that there might be some of you who
aren’t familiar with what happens to your box after you drop it off at a
collection center. You may be under the
assumption that your box goes directly to the lucky child after leaving the
collection center…but that is not the case.
So I thought that maybe I would use my blog post today as a Public
Service Announcement to fill you in on some of the details.
After the boxes are dropped off at the collection location in
your area, they are then secured with rubber bands and packed in larger cartons
so they can be taken to one of the eight processing centers across the
country…like the one we work at in Boone.
The cartons are then unloaded from the semi trucks and placed at the end
of each processing line. This is the
area where we stand and work each day from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.
The first person on the line is the pre-inspector (this is
usually my job). I open the large
cartons and take out a shoebox. I take
the rubber bands off and place them inside the box (they say the recipients
love getting these bands!). My job then
is to make sure that the top of the box has a label on it with the information
marked as to whether the box is for a boy or girl and the age group for which
it was packed. I then open the box and
look for any money that may be inside.
They ask that you give $7.00 for each shoebox you pack to help defray
the shipping costs and so my job is to remove that money and drop it into a
safe box. This is why it is so helpful
if you put the money on top of all the contents of the box so that it can be
easily seen. Some choose to pay the
shipping money on-line, so not every box will have money…but it’s my
responsibility to search the contents for any checks or cash. Not only is it important to find the money to
help with shipping…but we are told that if cash is left in the box…the child
receiving the box could be in danger if it is made known that they had been
given money.
I then pass this box on to one of the inspectors (usually two on
each side of the line). Their job is to
go through everything in the box to make sure that nothing inappropriate is in
the box. What I mean by this is that
there are various items that are not allowed in the countries where these boxes
are sent…so they need to be removed before shipping. There are also items that are not allowed
because of the fact that they could break during shipping and cause damage to
the other contents.
Examples of inappropriate items are anything containing liquid
(shampoo, body wash, snow globes, juice boxes, lotions, bubbles, etc.). Food items such as crackers, cookies, fruit
rolls or snacks are not allowed because it sometimes takes 4-6 months for a box
to reach its location and these foods wouldn’t be fresh after that length of
time. Last year we had a box that
contained homemade cookies…which was a nice thought…but they would have been
rather nasty by the time the child received them! We are also instructed to remove used or
damaged items; war-related items such as toy guns, knives, or military figures;
medications, vitamins or aerosol cans. Whatever is taken out of the box is not thrown
away…but is given to children in need inside the United States that can receive
it more quickly. PLEASE NOTE: In 2017,
no toothpaste or candy will be allowed
in the shoeboxes…due to new regulations and guidelines…so please make note
of this!
The inspector then has “filler” items in front of them that they
can add to the box to replace the things that needed to be removed. This ensures that each child receives a
well-filled box at the time of distribution.
Once the box is adequately filled, it is then given to the
“taper”. This person runs tape
completely around the box to ensure that the lid stays closed and no items are
lost.
The box is then handed to one of the “packers” (Dan's job). These workers (usually three or four of them)
check to see if there is a “Follow Your Shoebox” label on the box. If there is, then the barcode on the label is
scanned along with the code on the larger shipping box. This information is then sent to the person
who originally packed the shoebox so they know exactly where their box was
distributed.
The packers then place the shoeboxes in the larger shipping box
according to whether they are for a boy or a girl and by the age for which they
are designated. The packers’ job is
sometimes like putting a puzzle together, since there are various sizes of
boxes and tubs used. They need to be
good at figuring out how to get all of the mismatched boxes in the shipping box
without lost space.
Once the shipping box is full, the packer places the large
carton on a conveyor belt, which moves the box to the end of the line. At that location the box is taped closed and
loaded in a semi truck to begin its journey to its final location.
The goal this year at the Boone processing center is to process
850,000 shoeboxes….and that is just for one center! It is an amazing experience to be a part of
such a worthy cause.
Do these boxes have an impact on the recipients? We heard from a man who, at the age of seven,
was in an orphanage with 250 children in Rwanda. He said excitement was high when they
received their boxes…because this was the first gift any of them had EVER
received! Can you imagine? As a result of being given this box, along
with the fact that He was introduced to Jesus through this event, he asked
Jesus into his heart.
A regional director for East Africa spoke and told of one of his
trips to deliver the boxes. He talked to
a young boy, Frankie, and asked him what he hoped to get in his box. Frankie answered that he wanted a blue shirt
with buttons down the front. The
director started to tell him that he was doubtful that he would get a shirt
like that in his box, but before the words came out of his mouth, he felt the
Lord telling him to be quiet and not squelch the boys enthusiasm.
Sometime later, the director saw Frankie and asked him what was
in his box. With his face beaming, he
showed the man the blue shirt with buttons down the front that he had
received. He was so excited and said he
wanted the shirt to wear to church on Sunday.
Later, after returning to the states, the director was telling this
story and a woman’s face lit up. She
said that she had been in Walmart and found 10 blue, buttoned down shirts for
$1.00 a piece, so she had bought them all and put one in each of her
boxes. Coincidence? I think not!
In another instance there were two brothers, but because there
weren’t enough boxes to give to everyone, only one of the brothers received a
box. But when the one boy opened his
box, there were two of everything inside. Once again, the Lord had provided.
When you hear of children who are thrilled to finally have their
very own toothbrush, instead of having to share one toothbrush between many
children…children who are thrilled to finally have a bowl to put soup in –
instead of having to cup their hands to hold the hot broth…children who receive
a shoebox as their first present ever and as a result, ask Jesus into their
heart…it makes time spent filling shoebox as time well spent.
If you have never filled a shoebox, I urge you to do it next
year. I’m planning on watching for items
on sale or clearance throughout the year and put together a stockpile that can
be used to fill even more boxes in 2017.
Pinterest has lots of ideas as to what you can pack in your box for each
age group. If you have any questions,
don’t hesitate to ask. It’s a small
price to pay to have a huge impact on eternity!
“Then
the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my
Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was
thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into
your home. I was naked, and you gave me
clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited
me.’
“Then
these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and
feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show
you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison
and visit you?’
“And
the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least
of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’”
Matthew 25:34-40
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