I don't know if you've heard of it before, but it's something that Samaritan's Purse does every year. The basics of it is that you take a shoe box, fill it up for a child based off a specific age range and sex (you pick) and then the organization sends it to children in other countries that will probably only receive this box for Christmas. Honestly this is probably the only new thing they'll get this year.

Operation Christmas Child shoe box gifts bring smiles to the faces of hundreds of Haitian children in December 2011 by Samaritan's Purse. Operations Christmas Child relay teams in Reno and Sparks will send similar gifts to children overseas this year.

I was introduced to it a few years back at a church that I was attending but haven't done one since. I kind of forgot all about them, honestly. Then this year came and I came across shoe box ideas on Pinterest of all places. That's when I decided I wanted to do it again. I was hoping my local MOPS group would be doing it so had been waiting but I asked about it yesterday and found out they didn't have it planned, but someone was willing to get it going. Then we realized next week is collection dates! *EEK! I guess i'm going to have to get my butt in gear with this. Luckily it's pretty easy to figure out from the website and you can just look up a collection site to drop it off at. You can even "follow along" with your shoe box now to find out where it goes, which is pretty cool.

Here are some FAQ's from the Samaritan's Purse website:

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some questions we hear frequently about Operation Christmas Child. Call 1-800-353-5949 for more information.

Q. WHAT SHOULD I PUT IN MY SHOE BOX?

A. We have put together a list of suggestions and things to avoid when packing your box. Please watch the video here and go to our page, "How to Pack A Shoe Box".

Q. DO I HAVE TO USE A SHOE BOX?

A. No, you may also use a similarly sized plastic storage container with a removable lid or other similarly sized box.

Q. CAN I WRAP MY SHOE BOX?

A. Yes, but please remember to wrap the lid separately.

Q. WHERE SHOULD I TAKE MY FINISHED SHOE BOX?

A. We have drop-off locations around the nation. Find the center closest to you here.

Q. WHEN IS THE DEADLINE FOR SENDING MY SHOE BOX TO YOU?

A. National Collection Week is November 12-19, 2012, but you
may send completed boxes year-round to our headquarters:

Operation Christmas Child
Samaritan's Purse
P.O. Box 3000
801 Bamboo Road
Boone, NC 28607

Q. WHERE WILL MY SHOE BOX BE DELIVERED?

A. Shoe box destination countries vary from year to year. If you make your donation online, you can follow your shoe box with Follow Your Box Donation.

Q. HOW ELSE CAN I PARTNER WITH OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD IN ADDITION TO PACKING A SHOE BOX?

A. We need volunteers during the months of November and December. For more information, check out our volunteer opportunities page.

Q. WHAT DOES THE $7 COVER? CAN I SEND CASH?

A. A donation of $7 or more helps us cover project expenses like shipping the boxes. We prefer that these donations be made by check or by using our new online donation option (called "Follow Your Box Donation").

Q. IF I SEND MORE THAN ONE BOX, CAN I WRITE ONE CHECK FOR ALL OF THEM?

A. Yes, you may write one check for them all and place it in any one of your boxes.

Q. WHAT IS THE MISSION OF OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD?

A. The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God's love in a tangible way to needy children around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.