Project Leader Kit. Dear Project Leader,

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1 Project Leader Kit Dear Project Leader, Thank you for the role you play in Operation Christmas Child (OCC). Without Project Leaders, the participation of churches, schools, community groups and businesses who fill shoeboxes for OCC simply wouldn t happen! The information in this brief document will help you know how to organise and motivate your group towards the best possible experience with OCC. You ll find: Who to contact if you need help or a question answered An outline of the role of a Project Leader How to order OCC resources such as brochures, posters and pre-printed shoeboxes The most important OCC information to be presented to the group Ideas for how your group can best participate in OCC I hope this information is of benefit to you, and the team of OCC staff and volunteers are passionate about supporting you as best we can! With gratitude, Rowan Armstrong National Manager, OCC Australia and New Zealand 1 P a g e

2 Table of Contents Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 10 What is Operation Christmas Child? OCC Contact Information The Role of Project Leader Resource Orders Presenting OCC to Your Group Frequently Asked Questions Year-Round Volunteering 2 P a g e

3 What is Operation Christmas Child (OCC)? OCC is a project of Samaritan s Purse, a nondenominational evangelical Christian organisation whose mission is to provide spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan s Purse has helped meet the needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine. OCC is a unique project that takes gift-filled shoeboxes to needy children in over 130 countries around the world. The mission of OCC 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. All of Samaritan s Purse s projects, including OCC, are given and provided with no strings attached and without regard to the race, creed, gender, religion or ethnicity of the beneficiaries. OCC often establishes or strengthens the bridge of friendship between communities and local churches and Samaritan s Purse, opening opportunities to serve communities and provide other projects that meet people s desperate needs. 3 P a g e

4 Contact Information Operation Christmas Child State and Regional Managers: Australia Craig Jennings NSW State Manager Deepa Obed ACT & Southern NSW State Manager Marg Perry Victoria State Manager Kim Miller Tasmania State Manager Heather Jesshope South Australia & Northern Territory State Manager Mark Maunder Western Australia State Manager Trevor Morris Queensland State Manager New Zealand Francois Joubert North Island Regional Manager Phillip Haussmann South Island Regional Manager Phone Phone Phone Phone Phone Phone Phone Phone Phone My local OCC volunteer contact is: Name Phone OCC Helplines: General / Local Enquiries Donations Enquiries Australia New Zealand P a g e

5 The Role of Project Leader The role of Project Leader is easily summarised as: The point-person who organises OCC on behalf of the church/school/group The person who ensures the group is motivated and informed about OCC The person who ensures shoeboxes from the group are collected and handed in at an OCC collection point (known as Drop-Off Points) Here is a sample timeline for the Project Leader to give you an idea of the tasks involved: PERIOD January May TASKS Share and celebrate the previous year s results and shoebox numbers with your group Contact local OCC volunteer or State/Regional Manager to discuss participation and resources for the upcoming collection season Consider whether or not the group could also act as a Drop-Off Point June September Order resources online at operationchristmaschild.org.au (.org.nz for NZ) Motivate group for participation in OCC Fill shoeboxes / Run a packing party / Engage the community in OCC Liaise with local OCC volunteer or State/Regional Manager for any project information/questions Prepare shoeboxes for drop-off or collection in October Show OCC videos, and inspire and inform your group! October Collection Month! Check operationchristmaschild.org.au (.org.nz for NZ) for your local Drop-Off Point information and cut-off date October - November Opportunities for you group to be involved in your local Processing Centre. Please contact your local State/Regional Manager for details. 5 P a g e

6 Resource Orders There are all kinds of resources that can motivate and assist your group in participating in OCC. Most of our resources come in both downloadable and hard-copy formats and are available via our website: o Operationchristmaschild.org.au for Australia o Operationchristmaschild.org.nz for New Zealand All resources are provided freely, with the exception of our pre-printed shoeboxes (PPSB s). We ask for a 50c donation per PPSB to help us cover the significant cost associated with producing and distributing this item. Donations for PPSB s can be made online, or in person to your local OCC volunteer or State/Regional Manager. In most cases, we prefer to arrange a local pick-up or delivery of resources. This greatly assists us in keeping our postage and courier costs down, meaning more of our limited financial resource can be invested in the program. Wherever this is not possible, we will post/courier resources. Resources available: o How to Pack a Shoebox Brochure* o How to Host a Shoebox Packing Party* o Editable Promotional Poster* o Prayer Bookmark* o Editable Church Bulletin Insert* o Colouring-In Page* o Shoebox 101 Flyer* o Participation Certificate* o Shoebox Labels* o OCC Videos* o How to Pack a Shoebox for Schools o Shoebox Packing Party Kit o Pre-printed Shoeboxes All items marked with an * are available online as downloadable resources. Please download the resources your group requires or order hard-copy resources via the website. 6 P a g e

7 Presenting OCC to Your Group Operation Christmas Child is an incredibly simple and fun way for people to be involved in bringing hope and love to children in great need. There are, however, a few key points we want to ensure those participating understand, so that the project can be effective. Please use the following points as a guide to framing your presentation/s to your group: Please follow the gift suggestions & prohibited items instructions in the brochure o Include both fun and practical items variety makes a great shoebox gift! o Prohibited items are listed for the child s safety, customs regulations or other important reasons Please encourage people to give shoeboxes that are comfortably full o Encourage the group to minimise air space or items rattling around within their shoeboxes o We want all the children to receive a shoebox that is full Please encourage people to include the $9 donation per shoebox o Donations can be made online or by using the How to Pack a Shoebox Brochure o The donation covers all project costs including shipping, shoebox distribution, local warehousing, training distribution teams, staff, administration etc. o Shoeboxes given without the donation make it incredibly difficult for us to continue facilitate the program Please remove unnecessary packaging from items o We want to minimise our environmental impact in our receiving countries as much as possible o Removing packaging may also free up space to fit 1-2 more items in the shoebox and be a greater blessing to the child who will receive your shoebox gift Remember that it s always most important to inspire and motivate people, rather than listing the guidelines. You can do this by showing plenty of videos or telling stories you ve heard or read about. While practical direction and the above points are important, it s more important to get people excited first, before telling them all the finer details! Your local OCC volunteer or State/Regional Manager may be able to assist you by making a presentation to your group, or sharing a sample presentation with you. Please contact them for more information. 7 P a g e

8 Frequently Asked Questions 1. What countries are shoeboxes sent to? Globally, over 130 countries receive OCC shoeboxes. Australia & New Zealand s shoeboxes go to Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa and Vanuatu. 2. Which country will my shoeboxes go to? We don t know where each shoebox will be shipped until they are processed and a sea container is booked. This is due to timing, targets and export/import schedules to our receiving countries. The best way for people to find out where their shoebox/es are shipped is to make their $9 donation per shoebox via Follow Your Box and to attached the barcoded labels to their shoebox/es. 3. What age/gender category is most needed? We plan our distributions based on historical data, so please encourage people to give as they are led. Highlighting a gender/age category isn t necessary and can throw our distribution projections out. 4. What is the cut-off date? Every state/region is different. Please see the drop-off point page on the website for accurate information on your nearest drop-off point s start dates and closing dates. 5. Do I have to use a pre-printed OCC shoebox? Not at all in fact we prefer people to use their own empty shoeboxes. The preprinted shoeboxes are available to assist people and groups with their participation if required. Please follow the size guidelines on the brochure as closely as possible when using your own shoebox or shoebox-sized plastic container. 6. How can the $9 donation be made? 8 P a g e

9 The best method is online, as it is the most secure form of giving to OCC and requires the least handling and administration. You can give a general donation online or donate via the Follow Your Box method. If you aren t comfortable giving online, please use the donation form on the OCC brochure and include it with your cash, cheque or credit card donation and place in an envelope inside your shoebox/es. Please try to place the envelope on top of the shoebox contents so it is easily located by our processing team. If you re giving multiple shoeboxes, you can make a combined donation for all your shoeboxes and place it in one of the shoeboxes. 7. Do shoeboxes go to the same children every year? OCC has a one shoebox for one child policy. We do this to ensure as many children as possible can be reached and impacted by the program. 8. What are the reasons for prohibited/inappropriate items? There are a variety of reasons behind the guidelines. Some are due to customs regulations, but most are to do with the safety and wellbeing of the child. Please encourage your group to follow the guidelines as closely as possible without too much speculation regarding what the reason may be for each guideline. 9. Can I donate items, or shoeboxes without the donation? We encourage people to donate shoeboxes with the accompanying donation as our first preference gift-filled shoeboxes and donated funds are the 2 things that fuel our ministry. We will accept loose gifts and use these items to top up shoeboxes that need a little extra help, however it s gift-filled shoeboxes and the accompanying $9 donation per shoebox that really gives us the ability to do what we re called to do. If you have any other questions, please discuss with your local OCC volunteer or your nearest State/Regional Manager. 9 P a g e

10 Year-Round Volunteering 89 volunteer Area Teams are growing and being supported by our State/Regional Managers across Australia and New Zealand. These Area Teams exist to promote and manage the Operation Christmas Child project in their local area. There are a range of volunteer opportunities in these teams, and a timeline of activities that our volunteers perform year-round in order for the ministry of OCC to be strong and healthy in their area. We d love you or members of your church/group to consider becoming a yearround volunteer with OCC to enable us to reach as many children as we can with a gift-filled shoebox representing the message of Christmas God s love and hope toward all people. There are several volunteer opportunities available: Church and Community Relations - Build relationships with churches and community groups in your local area encouraging them to pack shoeboxes and promote the ministry in their networks. Prayer Mobilisation - Recruit local churches and groups to pray regularly for the ministry of Operation Christmas Child and join with the local Area Team to lift up specific needs in prayer. Leadership - Inspire and lead others in growing the local Area Team together in Christ and in opportunities for more shoebox gifts. Schools & Young People - Build relationships with schools, youth groups and children s ministries in your local area encouraging them to pack shoeboxes and promote the ministry. Collection Network - Use your gifts of organisation, planning and coordination to lovingly collect and transport shoebox gifts to your nearest processing centre and resource your team. If you are interested in finding out more, please visit our website and complete an expression of interest on our volunteering page, or contact your local OCC volunteer or State/Regional Manager. 10 P a g e