MANKATO — For Kris Kearney, Operation Christmas Child is a family affair.
The New Ulm woman said she first learned about the collection in 1998 and now packs shoeboxes for in-need children throughout the world with her husband and three kids.
“We’ve been filling shoeboxes ever since,” she said. “We do many boxes each year.”
Operation Christmas Child is an undertaking by Samaritan’s Purse, whereby donors collect shoebox gifts filled with toys, school supplies and personal care items. They’re then delivered to children in need around the world to “demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way,” said a news release from the Christian relief organization.
It’s the largest Christmas project of its kind and has been operating since 1993. Volunteers have collected and delivered more than 232 million shoebox gifts to children in more than 170 countries and territories. In 2025, the goal is to reach another 12.6 million children.
Anyone can pack a shoebox, organizers say. Individuals, families, churches and groups fill boxes. They advise to include one “wow!” item, Kearney said, such as a soccer ball with a pump or a doll or a stuffed animal.
“This is an important project,” she said. “It introduces children to God. It lets them know God loves them and they receive shoeboxes from people they don’t even know. But it’s in a manner that lets them know that God loves them.”
As for why people should give, Kearney said it’s simple.
“There are children in need,” she said, “who are in war-torn areas, and in areas of poverty. Most of these children have never received a gift before.”
Kearney is now a drop-off leader for Christ the King Lutheran Church in New Ulm, one of six drop-off locations for Operation Christmas Child in the region.
There are also drop-off sites in Mankato, Cleveland, Waseca, Blue Earth and Arlington.
National Collection Week for the shoebox donations is Nov. 17-24. There are nearly 5,000 drop-off locations in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.
Mark Knoff, area coordinator for Mankato, makes Operation Christmas Child a family affair just like Kearney. He encourages his four granddaughters to fill boxes when he visits his family each advent season.
Operation Christmas Child recipients are children ages 2-14.
“It’s a way to be thankful for the many things we have in this country,” Knoff said. “We’re very blessed. You’re giving a gift to someone across the world who has never received one.”
Samaritan’s Purse is an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham. The organization works in more than 100 countries to provide aid to victims of war, disease, disaster, poverty and famine, the release said.
To learn how to pack a shoebox, view gift suggestions, find the nearest drop-off location and even follow your box to its destination, go to samaritanspurse.org/occ.