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What Should I Put in My Operation Christmas Child Shoebox? Meet Wella!
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If you’re packing an Operation Christmas Child shoebox this year, you may be asking a familiar question:
What should I put in my OCC box?
Samaritan’s Purse recommends starting with a special “wow” item, then filling your shoebox with a mix of toys, school supplies, personal care items, and other fun and useful gifts.
But we recently spotted something in an OCC shoebox packing video that made us smile.
It was Wella!
An OCC Shoebox Packer Gave Us an Idea
Nichole of Sweet T. Daily is a Georgia-based creator with a passion for sharing the Gospel with children around the world through the Operation Christmas Child shoebox ministry.
In one of her videos sharing ideas for what to put in an OCC shoebox, we spotted a very familiar little elephant among the gifts: Wella!
And immediately we thought: What a perfect place for her.
Wella is colorful, cuddly, and just the right size to tuck inside an Operation Christmas Child shoebox. But she’s also more than a cute gift.
Wella comes with her own story of hope and freedom.
[Watch Nichole’s OCC shoebox packing video →]
Who Makes Wella?
Each Wella elephant is handmade in India by young women who have been rescued from slavery. The women are learning to sew through our vocational tailoring program, one of many vocational programs available to rescued children once they complete their primary education.
[Learn more about what happens after a child is rescued.]
Through vocational training, these young women learn valuable skills like sewing and tailoring that can help them build independent, hope-filled futures. Wella was born from that program and has since become a little ambassador for Set Free’s mission around the world.
Which makes the thought of putting Wella inside an OCC shoebox especially meaningful.
A young woman who was once enslaved uses her own hands to create a gift that will travel across the world and bring joy to another child.
That’s a pretty incredible story to tuck inside a shoebox.
What Else Should I Put in My OCC Box?
Whether Wella becomes one of the special toys in your box or is tucked alongside a larger “wow” item, there are plenty of ways to fill the remaining space.
Here are a few Operation Christmas Child shoebox ideas:
- School supplies: pencils, sharpeners, crayons, markers, notebooks, scissors, and rulers
- Personal care items: a toothbrush, washcloth, comb or brush, nail clippers, and fun adhesive bandages
- Clothing and accessories: socks, underwear, flip-flops, sunglasses, hats, hair accessories, and watches
- Toys and activities: jump ropes, coloring books, stickers, building blocks, toy cars, puzzles, and yo-yos
- Something personal: a handwritten note and photo of you or your family
Before you pack, be sure to check the latest guidelines from Samaritan’s Purse. Some items you might assume belong in a shoebox, including toothpaste, soap, candy, food, and liquids, are not currently allowed.
Your Kids Can Help Wella Change the World, Too
Looking for another way to help your children experience the joy of giving this Christmas? They can do more than pack a shoebox. They can become Wella fundraisers themselves!
Through Set Free’s Crowdsourcing Kids initiative, kids can order a fundraising kit containing 10 handmade Wella elephants and sell them to friends, family, and neighbors. Each kit includes nine small Wella ornaments to sell for $12 each, one large ornament to sell for $17, plus informational tags and marketing materials to help them get started.
And here’s where those little elephants can make a very big impact: when 50 kids each sell their 10 Wellas, together they can raise enough to drill a well in India, bringing clean water to hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of people. Crowdsourcing Kids have already helped provide clean water to more than 28,000 people!
It’s a hands-on way to teach kids that they don’t have to wait until they’re grown to make a difference.
Get a Crowdsourcing Kids Fundraising Kit →
Did You Know Wella Has Her Own Book?
Wella’s adventures don’t end with the elephant herself.
She even has her own children’s book, Water for Wella. It's available in our online store for $15, and would also fit nicely inside your OCC shoebox. Each copy purchased provides clean water for one person in need.
The book follows Wella on a journey that helps children understand something many of us take for granted: access to clean water. It’s a sweet way to introduce kids to the global water crisis while showing them that even small acts of generosity can make a difference.
Pairing a Wella elephant with Water for Wella also makes a meaningful Christmas gift for a child in your own life. You can purchase the book and Wella bundle here.
You Might Have Seen Wella on a Christmas Tree
Wella has also become part of a special Christmas tradition right here in Upstate South Carolina.
Through our Set Free Christmas Tree initiative, local businesses decorate Christmas trees with colorful Wella elephants, helping introduce their customers and communities to Set Free and the fight against child slavery. Businesses host Set Free Christmas Trees and customers can purchase a Wella ornament right off the tree.
Wella makes a pretty adorable Christmas ornament, but there’s something even more meaningful about seeing her on the tree year after year. She becomes a reminder of the woman who made her, the freedom her story represents, and the children and families around the world we continue to pray for and serve.
[Read more about the Set Free Christmas Trees →]
Keep a Wella Close to Home
Of course, Wella doesn’t have to travel across the world to make a meaningful Christmas gift.
Keep one for yourself or give a Wella to someone you love. Wella also makes a thoughtful gift for teachers, neighbors, friends, hostesses, or anyone who appreciates a gift with a story behind it.
And because each Wella is handmade, no two are exactly alike.
You could even start a new Christmas tradition: One Wella for your tree. One Wella for an OCC shoebox.
One stays home as a reminder to pray. One travels out into the world carrying a story of hope.
Pack a Wella. Gift a Wella. Keep a Wella.
Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes travel around the world carrying toys, school supplies, and practical gifts. But they also carry something much bigger: an opportunity to share the love and hope of Jesus with a child.
So this Christmas, give Wella a place in your traditions.
Tuck Wella inside an Operation Christmas Child shoebox. Give one to someone you love. Hang one on your own Christmas tree. Or pair one with Water for Wella for a meaningful gift for a child.
She was made by hands that know what freedom means.
And wherever Wella goes, she carries that story with her.
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Learn how you can make a difference through Set Free’s work in India.
