Holiday Cheer Packed in Shoeboxes in Lewis County and Shipped Around the World

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Members of First Christian Church in Chehalis might not be able to travel around the world this year spreading joy to children, but their love, thoughts and prayers will go the distance. 

Members of the congregation, organized by Julie Erwin and Kathy Aiken, are joining others in the community and across the world by gathering toys, clothes and toiletries and assembling them into 251 shoeboxes as part of a national effort called Operation Christmas Child, which is led by Samaritan’s Purse. 

“They go all over the world,” Aiken said. “We don’t know where they end up.” 

Aiken and Erwin have been participating in the operation for 20 years. In the beginning, they only packed between 30 and 40 boxes, they said. Each year, it has become a larger effort, with more boxes being packed. In the past two years, the total number of shoeboxes packed and mailed has peaked around 250. 

This year, it took 17 volunteers about two and a half hours to pack the boxes, but it takes efforts by the congregation the whole year to gather the materials for the boxes. 

Inside each box is a blanket, pens, pencils, notepads, spiral notebooks, a T-shirt or dress, and a toy of some kind. Boxes are packed with different items depending on the recipient’s gender and age, Erwin said. Younger kids get crayons or markers with a spiral notebook, while older kids get pens and pencils with a notepad or spiral notebook. 

“They always need school supplies no matter where they live,” Aiken said.  

During the back-to-school sales in August, the pair went to Staples, purchasing notebooks and other supplies for the November boxes. Other supplies were donated by other members of the congregation who also went to sales. 

Other items include knitted hats and gloves, combs, hair brushes, tooth brushes and a small toy. Each of the girls get a doll and the boys get a truck or car, Aiken said. Balls are a universal toy, she added. Everyone can enjoy playing with one. 

Items not allowed include toothpaste, candy, liquids and toys that have to do with war or violence, Aiken said. So squirt guns and bubbles are not allowed, which breaks Aiken’s heart.



“I would love to send bubbles to every kid in the world,” she said.   

The church holds two yard sales each year to fund the purchase of the items for the shoeboxes. 

Erwin said the best part of the year-long process is packing the boxes. She imagines the child’s face as he or she opens the box and discovers the gifts it holds.

“How else can you bless 251 kids?” she said. “It is the only gift they get.” 

Once the boxes are packed at First Christian Church in Chehalis, they are taken to Mountain View Baptist in Centralia where churches and individuals bring their packed boxes to be picked up by Samaritan’s Purse and taken to a distributing center. 

From there, they are sent to areas that are impoverished or that have been recently impacted by a natural disaster, Aiken said. So the shoeboxes from Chehalis could very well end up in places such as Africa, Puerto Rico or Houston. 

People looking to donate or help with next year’s shoeboxes can contact the First Christian Church in Chehalis at 360-748-3702 or visit the Operation Christmas Child website at samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child.

How to Help

Many churches contribute to the Samaritan’s Purse shoebox program. To learn more about the program, collection sites and how to build a shoebox, visit www.samaritanspurse.org.