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A Bounty of Freebies ~ Putting Others' Leftovers to Good Use in OCC Shoe Boxes

I love it when I receive unexpected shoe box supplies for packing my Operation Christmas Child shoe box gifts. Check out all these goodies that didn't cost me anything.

Operation Christmas Child Stockpile

Our church has decided to move in a new direction with their children ministry so they have canceled our AWANA program.  My girls were jointly in charge of the
program with the Children's Pastor.  He told them they could take any of the leftover supplies that we could use for the shoeboxes.  Here is what we were able to share:

  • 28--drawstring backpacks (some cotton some nylon)
  • 15--cars
  • 16--t-shirts (one is an Adult XXL that I plan to turn into a dress)
  • 12--cups
  • 3--pencil cases
  • 1/2 yard fabric (black-checkered from their car races, I'll make little drawstring bags to tuck a few of the cars into (I'll add a little bright colored fabric with it to brighten it up).  You can see the finished bags here:  Matchbox Car Totes for OCC Shoeboxes


Also, my father-in-law recently brought us a couple boxes full of sunflower kitchen items that my mother-in-law had purchased to re-do her kitchen. She died before she could use them.  I chose out some of the plastic items to share in shoe boxes in her honor:

  • 8--Cups
  • 8--Bowls
  • 1--Plate

I also received some sunflower fabric so I plan to make some aprons and include in 10 to 14 year old girl boxes with the cups and bowls.  Need to keep my eyes open for some spoons.

Receiving freebies for my Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes does two things.  It helps me be able to pack more boxes as well as pack more things in the boxes I do pack.  What great freebies have you gotten lately?

You can keep up each Saturday with our stockpile additions when Sarah posts the week's collection.  You can see them all here:  Shoebox Stockpile Saturday ~ Adding to Our Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Stockpile.

2 comments:

Ashley H. said...

I just discovered OCC this year when I was praying about what to do with my yarn stash. So I started knitting warm winter hats like crazy and got so exciting about it that I started asking friends for their old yarn so I could keep going. My mother-in-law just turned up with a HUGE box of yarn that a lady in her church had in her attic! I'll be able to get at least a hundred good warm hats out of all that yarn! :)

Cheryl @ Simply Shoeboxes said...

How exciting, Ashley! I hope the yarn just keeps pouring in. There is a gal in PA who crochets little stuffed animals and she receives yarn, ribbon and stuffing from friends and family to keep her hands busy. They often find it at garage sales for her. I think you will be knitting many hats for many years. The kids seem to just love a hat to put on....one shoe box distributor said their favorite things seemed to be anything the could wear. Thanks for sharing your shoe box adventure.


             
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