West Virginia (WVDN) — Samaritan’s Purse is celebrating a successful season after collecting 12.2 million Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts in 2025, sharing the love of Jesus with children in need around the world.
The milestone reflects the generosity of millions of shoebox packers helping to fill shoebox gifts with toys, school supplies and personal care items. Across the U.S., the project collected 10.9 million shoebox gifts in 2025. Combined with those collected from partnering countries, the ministry is now sending over 12.2 million shoebox gifts to children worldwide, including those whose lives were turned upside down by Hurricane Melissa, a category 5 storm that recently struck Jamaica.
“Each shoebox gift is an opportunity to remind boys and girls around the world that God loves them,” said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse. “We are so thankful for the generosity of every person who packed a shoebox. These gifts are bringing joy and the hope of the Gospel to children in need.”
For many children, a shoebox gift is the first gift they have ever received. Each one is a tangible expression of God’s love, offering hope to children facing war, poverty, disease and disaster. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 244 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 170 countries and territories.
While local drop-off locations are closed until National Collection Week, Nov. 16 – 23, 2026, anyone can participate year-round by packing a shoebox gift online at samaritanspurse.org/buildonline. These shoebox gifts built online go to the hardest-to-reach areas in the world—whether deep jungles, city slums, or steep mountainsides.
Information about ways to get involved year-round can also be found at samaritanspurse.org/occ.
