Spread a Little Love - Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child

As you can tell from the name of this blog, it’s important to me to teach my children how to give back and take care of others. I grew up seeing my parents donate furniture and clothes to families in need, help immigrant parents learn how to drive and make food for people that might need a little extra help. Needless to say, it has been ingrained in me to do the same with my kids.

I was happy to learn about Samaritan's Purse - Operation Christmas Child because I thought it was a perfect way to get Emilia involved in the spirit of giving! All you need to do is get a shoebox, and fill it with items for children of different age groups. You include toys, hygiene products, clothing, etc. and then, bring it to one of the drop off locations where the boxes will then be shipped to children in need around the world.

We decided to fill a couple boxes for little girls ages 2-5 (around Emilia’a age) so that she could really be a part of picking toys and clothes! I wasn't sure that Emilia would grasp the concept but she surprisingly did! She happily collected toys, hair accessories and school supplies that another little girl would like.

*Little Tip: We had a few returns to make after picking things that were a bit too big... oops! So just keep in mind that all the items have to fit in the box together. Hehe! But overall, it was easy to fill the box and there is a guide online to help you with ideas.

I'm looking forward to making this a tradition in hopes that I can teach my kids the same values my parents taught me. If you’re interested in putting together a box and spreading some love, get any average cardboard shoebox and follow the instructions of how to fill it on the Samaritan’s Purse Canada website. National Collection week is November 18-24th.

Happy Gifting!