By Deborah Reed
WKTV Managing Editor
deborah@wktv.org
More than 4,500 locations will open to collect Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts during National Collection Week, Nov. 13–20.
A Samaritan’s Purse project, Operation Christmas Child (OCC) has been collecting and delivering shoebox gifts—filled with school supplies, personal care items and fun toys—to children worldwide since 1993. In 2023, OCC hopes to collect enough shoeboxes to reach another 11 million children.
Kristeana Veenstra, OCC Area Coordinator for the West Central Michigan Team, and her husband Tracey have been packing shoeboxes for the past 15 years.
A life-changing impact
After hearing an announcement at church, Veenstra packed three shoeboxes that first year in 2008.
“It was a lot of fun,” said Veenstra. “We don’t have kids, but we love kids, so it was fun shopping, picking stuff out. Even if it’s practical, [I thought] how can I make the school supplies fun.”
In April 2009, Veenstra received a letter and picture from the mother of the little girl who received the very first shoebox Kristeana and Tracey packed.
“The mom was so thankful and appreciative that now her daughter has someone who cares about her in America,” said Veenstra. “[She] invited us to come visit in Burkina Faso (West Africa). It really made an impact.”
Such an impact that Veenstra started taking up more of a role alongside the OCC team leader at the time. Eventually, Veenstra found herself stepping into that leadership role.
Christmas…all year long
“Five years in, I found out there were year-round volunteers and I got super excited,” said Veenstra.
Part of the year-round team for the past 10 years, Veenstra has served as area coordinator for the last three years. With over 300 participating churches in West Michigan, that is no small feat.
“We help guide churches and businesses [through the process],” said Veenstra. “We love to come alongside the project leaders of those churches and make sure they feel supported and have all the resources they need.”
With 11 drop-off sites for shoeboxes in West Michigan, Veenstra strives to recruit even more sites.
“Sometimes we will discover a need in an area that doesn’t have one, so we will start looking for churches to see if we can recruit a new church that might be interested in being a drop-off,” said Veenstra.
Anyone can pack a shoebox!
Individuals, families, and groups still have time to transform empty shoeboxes into fun gifts. Find a step-by-step guide on the How to Pack a Shoebox webpage.
“Children around the world need to know that God loves them and there is hope,” said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse. “A simple shoebox gift opens the door to share about the true hope that can only be found in Jesus Christ.”
Veenstra added, “There is a part that anybody can play. There are so many different things and ways you can be a part of this ministry, that anybody can be part of it.”
The passion behind the shoebox
Kristeana’s team consists of 19 additional team members.
“My team is amazing, they are rockstars,” said Veenstra. “It is a passion of theirs to see kids who have maybe never received a gift, receive a gift, and to spread the love and joy that comes with them. You can really see the passion in them for this ministry.”
Veenstra remembers a woman who called her local location on the last day of drop-off to see if they would be willing to stay open late so she could deliver her packed shoebox.
“She took way longer to get there than they had expected,” said Veenstra. “It turns out, she had walked seven miles to get this shoebox dropped off because it was that important to her.”
Another project leader continued to lead shoebox packing on her own during COVID. Even though her church had shut down, the leader managed to collect over 300 boxes.
A year-long volunteer and project leader organizes a packing party each year.
“People tell me that they [help] because she has found a way to give them a purpose,” said Veenstra. “It gave them a sense of purpose they didn’t know they had.”
Responses from around the world
While it is rare to get a written letter back from a shoebox recipient because of the high postal cost in some areas, Veenstra said one volunteer’s daughter has email pen pals from all over the world.
“She has grown up doing this with her mom, so she has friends all over the world that she has gotten to know because they have received a shoebox that she packed,” said Veenstra.
After meeting with shoebox recipients in person, Veenstra says, “If that opportunity ever arises, I would tell somebody to drop everything and do it, because it will change your perspective on not just packing shoeboxes, but in so many things.”
“Love” notes
Veenstra said that receiving a shoebox reminds the recipient of Jesus’ love, and shows the recipient that someone else in the world is caring and loving as well.
One gentleman received a shoebox containing a note that said: “Jesus loves you, and so do I.”
As a refugee, that man grew up believing and feeling that everyone hated him.
“They had no home, and he grew up with a lot of hate in his heart,” said Veenstra. “He received this shoebox, and he questioned whether or not his hate was justified because clearly not all people were bad.
“Notes are so incredibly important in shoeboxes because it creates that extra impact and connection.”
Shoebox recipient stories can be found at OCC Testimonials.
Shoebox drop-off locations
Two local locations are Calvary Baptist Church (1200 28th Street SE, Grand Rapids) and High Pointe Community Church (2975 76th Street SW, Byron Center).
However, shoeboxes can be dropped off at any of the shoebox drop-off locations.
Participants can find the nearest drop-off location and hours of operation with the online lookup tool that is searchable by City or ZIP code. Signs at each location will identify the drop-off.
“I don’t think people really realize that such a small shoebox can make such a huge impact,” said Veenstra. “This is such an amazing ministry, and I love being part of it.”
Let’s crush that goal!
Since 1993, OCC has collected and delivered more than 209 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories.
West Michigan packed 33,346 shoeboxes in 2022. Veenstra and her team have a goal of collecting 35,500 shoeboxes for 2023.
“We would love to completely crush that goal,” said Veenstra. “There are millions more children to get shoeboxes to.”
