WIN a trip to the Dominican Republic With Me and OCC!
Wanna join me? Wanna HAND DELIVER your Operation Christmas Child Shoebox in the Dominican Republic?
Watch the video below or read this post to see how you can enter for a chance to do just that!
Earlier this year, I shared my journey with you as I traveled with Operation Christmas Child to hand deliver shoeboxes to children in need in Ecuador. I felt like you were with me on that journey and I am so grateful for your prayers and your ears as you let me share my experience with you. Seeing firsthand what a difference a simple shoebox packed with love can make in the life of a child changed me forever. Kids crying with joy over receiving small toys, pencils, even counting a toothbrush as their most prized posession, Â opens your eyes to an entirely different part of our world.
These things changed me, but they also changed the children and that is thanks to people like you who took the time to pack a shoebox.
This year marks the 100 millionth shoebox that OCC has delivered to children all over the world and to commemorate this very special year, I’m teaming up with Operation Christmas Child to go on another invitation only distribution trip to the Dominican Republic, but guess what?
OCC is going to choose one of YOU to go with me!
One of you will get to join me on this life changing trip and HAND DELIVER your shoebox!
 TO ENTER:Â
1. Fill a shoe box for a child. Be sure to include treats (small toys, double bagged hard candy, etc), school supplies (pencils, pencil sharpener, colored pencils) and personal hygiene items (soap, toothbrush, toothpaste). Most of all, put your heart into filling the box and make sure you add some things with special meaning to you.
2. Take a photo of the shoe box gift.
3. Send the photo and an e-mail telling us why your box is special and why you should get to go hand-deliver shoe box gifts with Christy Jordan to:Â occ@southernplate.comÂ
PRIZE:
All expense paid Operation Christmas Child distribution trip to Dominican Republic with Christy Jordan.Â
The trip dates are December 4-7, 2012.Â
 Entries must be received by midnight, November 2, 2012.Â
For complete Rules and Details, see below.
After you send an email, I encourage you to share your photo on Facebook and Pinterest and ask your friends to pack a shoe box gift for Operation Christmas Child! Be sure to tag their page www.facebook.com/OCC_shoeboxes and if you’d like to tag me at Facebook.com/southernplatefamily , I’d love to read your story there, too!
The 4 finalists not chosen will receive one of the following prizes: Signed Scotty McCreery Christmas Album or an OCC Christmas Ornament Set
Questions and Help Packing Shoeboxes:
What goes in an Operation Christmas Child Shoebox?
*For a complete instruction sheet on how to pack a shoebox as well as printable labels to tape onto your shoebox denoting the gender and age range that it is intended for, please click here.
*Find a drop off location near you by clicking here.Â
*For all other information as well as more details, photos, and more about Operation Christmas Child, please click here.Â
*For a wonderful list of ideas to include in your shoeboxes, visit my dear friend Kelly’s post 101 Ways To Pack A Shoebox
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Watch a Video from my trip with Operation Christmas Child
Rules and Details
Entries will be judged on impact, photo, and story quality. The top 5 submissions will be selected by Christy Jordan and then sent to Operation Christmas Child to pick the winner. Entries must be submitted by Friday, November 2. Operation Christmas Child will select a winner the week of November 5th. The winner will be notified by email and will have two business days to respond and claim the prize. If the selected winner cannot attend the trip December 4 -7, 2012, or does not respond and claim the prize, Operation Christmas Child will select another winner from the remaining top 4 submissions. All winner selections will be final and in the sole discretion of Operation Christmas Child. Residents of the United States 18 years of age and older are eligible to win. Distribution trip has no retail value and no replacement prize will be offered to selected winner who is unable to attend on the prescribed dates, Travel expenses covered includes round-trip coach airfare, hotel, and meals while in the Dominican Republic. If an expedited passport is required, Operation Christmas Child will reimburse for expediting costs. Entrant warrants that it is the copyright owner of all submissions. All submissions become the property of Samaritan’s Purse and may be used for any reason and in any medium in promotion of Operation Christmas Child. This contest sponsored by Samaritan’s Purse / Operation Christmas Child, 801 Bamboo Road, Boone, NC 28607. Your submission indicates your acceptance of these Rules.Â
My Disclaimer: I voluntarily write posts about Operation Christmas Child. I am not receiving compensation for my participation, but Operation Christmas Child will provide for travel costs to the Dominican Republic for me and one contest winner. Regardless of who you are, what your station or lot in life is, and your religious affiliation or lack thereof, I firmly believe that everyone CAN change the world for the better, and we should all try.Â
Has the lucky winner been announced yet?
Christy, you are a bright and shining beacon of love and laughter on this earth! (And of course, a conduit for great recipes)!!! 😉
My friend and I have packed 13 boxes so far this year but we get conflicting ideas about plastic shoe boxes versus cardboard. I know plastic would have so many more uses but do think there is a possibility that some of them crack and are not usable to the children? Most of ours are in plastic from the dollar store and we are wondering if that’s ok. How I’d love to go on such a trip – dearly love it – but I don’t think I’m up to it for age and health reasons.
Hey Marlene! I’m so glad you brought this up! I need to go add this into my post.The children love the plastic shoe boxes! Cardboard works fine but plastic shoebox is an added bonus for them. They have so many uses :they can carry water, they can hold their treasures, they can hold food if need be. During our distribution trip to Ecuador we gave out thousands of shoeboxes and I never saw a plastic one that was cracked all of mine are plastic this year and. All of mine are from the dollar store also. If you only have cardboard of course that is fine and wonderful but if you do have plastic that’s in just a little extra special bonus
🙂
This is a wonderful opportunity to be a blessing to others and share in an experience of a lifetime! Thank you for running this contest!
Christy, What an opportunity! Our church has been doing these since I can remember! This year we have the pleasure to contribute again. Thank you for bringing such a worthwhile cause before so many. ANd I love your delicious recipies! Thank you!
The is wonderful. But why are we not not filling shoe boxes for American children who have nothing, and no food? We need to be helping all the children in the world.
Operation Christmas Child absolutely does give out shoeboxes to children in the United States. The surprising thing is though, that even our poor here are incredibly wealthy compared to children in so many other countries. This is difficult to grasp, I know. I wasn’t able to understand myself until I saw it firsthand. Whenever we can help a child, I feel we should regardless of where they live. We should never put qualifiers on helping children: They don’t live in my country, speak my language, look like I do, etc.
I’m sure you feel the same, too.
I am so thankful for this opportunity. For years I have prayed over the boxes and that each child would be blessed. To hold a child and see them smile as they were given a OCC Christmas Box. Words can’t express how happy i would be. Bless you as you prepare for this mission trip.