Many people are familiar with Operation Christmas Child, which sends shoebox-sized Christmas gifts for distribution to children who might otherwise not receive a gift. Some families involve their own children in preparing a box to be sent to a less fortunate child somewhere in the world; other people enjoy preparing multiple boxes, watching for appropriate items all year as they do their regular household shopping. Participants have the opportunity to track where their boxes

While Operation Christmas Child does in fact need lots of people willing to pack one or more shoeboxes, much more is happening behind the scenes for the rest of the year