A senior living community held an Operation Christmas Child shoebox packing party this afternoon and we were there to help set-up and host the party. We brought a Christmas tree, Shoebox Bingo, red and green tablecloths and a few boxes of items for them to put in their shoeboxes. All of the red-and-green GO boxes that they had folded and ready-to-fill were stacked on a table that we decorated with our Shoebox Banner, “Packed With Love”.
We started off the party with three rousing games of Shoebox Bingo with the wonderful residents who came to fill the shoeboxes. Pulling items out one-at-a-time from the storage tub, we called them out to the ladies as they marked the bingo spots with bottle caps. Each person who got a bingo chose an item as a prize which they put into the first shoebox they packed! They loved playing Shoebox Bingo!
Next, the residents lined up and made their way around the tables, filling their shoebox with the wonderful items they had collected and we had donated to the party. From sewing kits with fabric to school supplies, hygiene items and small toys, there were so many great items available! Each shoebox got a Christmas card which had been signed by the residents earlier in the week. All of the shoeboxes packed at the party were for girls aged 10-14 years.
All-in-all they ended up filling 68 shoeboxes which beat last year’s total of 63 shoeboxes by 5! Hip hip hooray! The ladies were so excited about Operation Christmas Child, they want to start knitting and crocheting washcloths and other items for next years shoeboxes right away! We boxed up the leftover party items, packed all of the shoeboxes into cartons which we will hold in storage until National Collection Week arrives.
Oh, and Beasley was spotted in the Christmas tree that we set up and decorated for the party!
