We often have great conversations with volunteers who tell us about their experiences. Earlier this month, one person who had spent time volunteering at Samaritan’s Purse as a shoebox checker, for Operation Christmas Child project told us of their experience:

“Thousands of generous people pack shoe boxes full of gifts and drop them off at the charity’s new headquarters at Crosspoint Business Park, to be sent to children across the world – and they ask for volunteers to check that all items are acceptable and safe to go through customs.

I registered to volunteer online and was given a range of days and times I could get involved for a two-hour slot – it was great to see that groups or families could also take part together, and I could pick the best time for me. The team sent me regular reminders about my shift along with information on what to wear (warm layers) and the free refreshments available.

On the day of my shift, after a health and safety briefing, instructions on how to check the boxes and a brief prayer (Samaritan’s Purse is a Christian charity), my fellow shift volunteers and I were led to an enormous warehouse. The space contained checking stations, packing stations, refreshments areas and even a field hospital! It was fascinating to see and learn about the humanitarian missions that Samaritan’s Purse also do, and the scale of the operation they are leading was awe inspiring.

Trolleys of donated gift boxes were piled up at the end of each station, with each box labelled to show if it was intended for a girl or a boy, and the contents were tailored for different age ranges: 2-4 years, 5-9 years or 10-14 years.

We all got stuck in, opening each box and surveying the contents, removing any edible or liquid items, sealing them up and passing them on to other volunteers to be packed into transport cartons. Christmas songs played in the background and large screens showed images and videos of the children and their gifts, and the atmosphere was jolly and team focussed.  

I thoroughly enjoyed my experience; made all the richer by witnessing the care, generosity, thoughtfulness and love shown by each of the donors. Nestled in some of the boxes, amongst presents such as toys, stationery, hygiene products and clothing, were Christmas cards telling the children they were loved, handwritten notes from families, and photographs of smiling children anticipating the joy their donations could give to whoever received their box.

I definitely came away from my volunteering feeling like I’d played a small but important part of something really big, and it was a heartwarming experience I’d be keen to repeat.”

See the Samaritan’s Purse volunteer opportunity here on our Coventry VCSE directory: 

Photocredit: Samaritan's Purse